My Brother's Best Friend
by jennlynnfs
Summary: AU/AH: Seven years have passed since Edward and Bella last saw each other. Now, with Edward's return to Seattle, Bella wonders what drove away her brother's best friend all those years ago. *More detailed summary included with chapter 1.
1. Chapter 1: Only the Beginning

**Title: **My Brother's Best Friend

**Author: **jennlynnfs

**Rating:** PG-13/M for some mature content and very mild language. I will mark other chapters with more mature adult content with the appropriate rating in the future.

**Genre:** Romance; AU; All-Human

**URL (if not posted here):**

**Characters/Pairings:** Bella/Edward; other cannon pairings

**Short summary:** Seven years have passed since Edward and Bella last saw each other. They grew up as children and even became good friends. Once they entered high school, Edward became distant and eventually severed all ties with her. Confused and hurt, Bella moved on with her life in Seattle. Through it all, Bella had her older brother Emmett to get past the estrangement. Now, with Edward's imminent return to Seattle to help out with his sister Alice's wedding, Bella can't help wondering what drove away her brother's best friend all those years ago.

**Any warnings:** None

**Disclaimer:** These characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Author's Note:** Special thanks to the fabulous spotzle for beta-ing my story. If you haven't read her story, A Matter of Convenience, go now!

**Chapter 1 "Only the Beginning"**

_Deepening shadows gather splendor as day is done_

_Fingers of night will soon surrender the setting sun_

_I count the moments darling till you're here with me _

_Together at last at twilight time_

"Twilight Time" by The Platters

This was Bella's favorite time of day. She slowed her jog to a brisk walk and watched the sun go down in the horizon. The light played a dazzling effect on the lake. A cool breeze gently blew over the water, causing a ripple of purple, blue, and pink waves. She could also smell the faint scent of pine from the trees surrounding the area.

It was a near idyllic scene until her iPod Shuffle played "Twilight Time" by The Platters.

She swore to herself and almost pressed the shuffle button when she saw an elderly couple stroll by her hand in hand. She was a sucker for old married people.

Bella let the song play, allowing memories of _him_ invade her thoughts. She stopped walking and stood at the edge of the path to stare out onto Green Lake. She only thought of him in passing now a days, but with his imminent return tomorrow, he was in her thoughts with more frequency than she liked.

When the sun finally set and the evening settled in, Bella finished her run on Green Lake's path and continued on her way home.

She reached Linden Avenue and eventually the townhouse she shared with her older brother Emmett. The neighborhood wasn't the most affluent in Seattle, but it was still nice. Bella wanted to attend the University of Washington, but her dad and brother did not like the idea of her moving out on her own.

Bella, Emmett, Edward, and Alice had known each other since they were children. Their families became close friends. Apparently, the Cullens dabbled in real estate and when Dr. Carlisle heard of Bella's circumstances, he spoke to Charlie about a rental he had near the university and if Bella needed a place to stay, the place was hers.

Charlie was reluctant at first. He was the sheriff of Forks. He felt there were people who were more deserving of such generosity and he knew the Cullens would be losing money by allowing Bella to stay in the townhouse.

After a lot of negotiating, it was decided there would be a break on the rent, but that Emmett would also live with Bella and help pay part of it. Charlie was quite firm on the idea that Emmett move in with Bella because, although she was staying in a place he had no qualms about, Charlie did not like the idea of her living by herself.

At the time, Bella did not have a problem with it. She loved her older brother Emmett. Of course he tested her patience and humor numerous times like an older brother should, but she genuinely got along with Emmett.

Seven years later, living with your older brother no longer held its charms. When she really thought about it, she only had her self to blame. When she was a teenager, she idolized Emmett. Everyone did. In high school, he was popular, one of the best linemen on the football team, and all the girls wanted to be his girlfriend.

Well, either Emmett or _him._

She let out a short breath.

_Edward._

She could now think of his name without any heightened emotions.

Emmett and Edward were the guys who girls woke up in the morning to go to school for. With just one of them, high school would've been a girl's dream come true. With both Emmett and Edward high school was a daily test of skills and physical prowess that girls would stumble over each other to witness.

Competitive was an understatement, but neither Emmett or Edward took it seriously. They always looked for ways to one up the other, but at the end of the day, one was ready to congratulate the other without hesitation.

They complemented each other as well. Emmett played linemen and Edward played quarterback. If they played basketball, Edward would be point guard and Emmett would be center. Emmett was solid and intimidating and Edward was lean and fit. Emmett would sometimes get caught in a confrontation, but Edward would be there to diffuse it.

In the middle of it all, Bella was their mediator.

If there was ever a question of who threw the ball further or who had the best lay up, Bella was consulted.

When they were children, Bella took her role seriously. But as they got older and their antics became ridiculous, Bella would just pick someone just to end the stupidity.

She could now think of their childhood experiences with a wistful fondness for simpler times. But the latter part of their friendship in high school? She could not help looking back at that period with a sense of regret and sadness.

She had been in love with Edward nearly her whole life. If she fell and scraped her knee, Emmett would tell her to get up and walk it off. Edward would tend to the scrape and make sure she was alright. She figured he was so considerate because of his younger sister Alice, but the fact was that Edward was truly a good person.

Edward made it so easy to fall in love with him.

Emmett looked out for her, but Edward protected her. She and Edward had become close, but somewhere in their relationship things had changed.

Emmett and Edward had already graduated by the time Bella was a senior. Although Emmett and Edward no longer attended Forks High School, their reputations were legendary. It didn't help that on the weekends, Emmett and Edward would visit home from college and on Fridays every girl in school would try to make plans with her in the hopes that Emmett and Edward would be remotely part of their plans. Thus, providing hope in the hearts of every high school girl that they might have a chance.

Thinking back on that made Bella want to gag.

If she really was honest, it started when she was a junior and Emmett and Edward were seniors. She and Edward were still close, but she felt him drifting away from her. At the time, she just attributed it to him getting ready to go away for college.

When Emmett and Edward left for the University of Washington in Seattle, they kept in touch with her, but Bella felt whenever Edward talked to her, he was guarded.

In her senior year, when she decided she was also going to attend the University of Washington, Edward transferred at the semester to Berkeley. A nobel laureate in Medicine became a resident professor at Berkeley and Edward seized the opportunity to go.

The news of his transfer cut her so deep. A part of her suspected that he did not want to be friends with her anymore, and the fact that he was switching to another school before she even started confirmed her suspicions.

Only she had no idea why Edward's feelings toward her changed so drastically. She racked her brain, trying to figure out what she might have done to drive him away, but nothing came to mind. She tried talking to Emmett about it. At first, he assured her that she had nothing to do with Edward's decision to switch schools. But when Bella persisted, Emmett told her to drop it. He told her that Edward was ready for a change and that she should be happy for him.

She had not seen Edward for seven years. She heard news about him through Emmett and Alice, but whenever he visited, she was out of town visiting their mom and her husband Phil in Florida. It dawned on her that he timed his visits to coincide with her visits to Florida.

Bella tried to keep in touch with him, but eventually he stopped returning her calls and emails. Emmett would say that he'd been really busy, that she can't expect him to phone or e-mail all the time.

Sometimes Bella wished she could just beat the crap out of Emmett, who had the sensitivity level of an ottoman. Without Edward there to buffer Emmett's obtuse personality, she really had felt hurt. Then she realized that Emmett was like Charlie and learned to take Emmett's comments with a barrel of salt. Bella also learned to dish it out as good as he gave it. This seemed to improve their relationship, but it was a recent revelation and Bella was still adjusting to always being on the offense with Emmett.

Now, after seven years of no contact, Edward was arriving tomorrow. She clarified with Emmett that the date was correct and Emmett assured her that it was correct. Edward was visiting while she would be in the same state.

Her first reaction was to leave. A part of her wanted him to know what it felt like to have someone leave the state as if you had the plague, but she was not a vindictive person. If anything, she was curious as to why he was coming back.

She talked to Alice about it briefly and it turned out that since Alice was getting married soon, she wanted her brother to be a part of all the wedding preparations.

It was dark now. The sky was dotted with stars and the street lights flickered on. She slowed her pace and stopped in front of the townhouse she shared with Emmett. Their unit was on the corner. It was two stories with brown siding and stone details on the porch. Bella jogged to the back of the house and walked on the back porch.

Bella reached for the key under the mat and unlocked the door. Then she replaced the key and walked in. Bella took out her earbuds and walked to the sub zero fridge. She took out a bottle of water, turned the cap, and before it touched her lips, she heard Emmett call from the front of the house.

"Bella? What took you so long?"

She rolled her eyes and took a swig from her water bottle.

"Bell?" He called out.

She swallowed and said, "Yeah. I'm here. I'm just getting some water."

"Did you forget your cell phone?"

"No."

"Then why didn't you answer?"

Bella finished off another gulp from her water bottle before answering. "It was off."

"Off?" She thought she heard a few choice swears before he said, "What if something happened? What if I needed to get a hold of you?"

Bella put the cap back on her water bottle and walked to the front of the house. She walked down the hall, passing the dining room, making her way toward the living room. "What's the emergency? Let me guess. You couldn't find the remote again? I swear, Emmett. If you misplaced the remote again, I will shove it up your-" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw that Emmett was not alone.

"What the hell is he doing here?" She narrowed her eyes at Emmett before she turned to look at their guest.

"Nice, Bell. You couldn't say hi like a normal person." Emmett gave Bella a warning look.

"You said he wouldn't be here until tomorrow." She absently tried tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, but she forgot it was in a ponytail. Suddenly, she was conscious of the fact that she had just come back from running and probably looked like a sweaty pile of-

"He came a day early. Is there a crime for coming home a day early?" This time Emmett took a step forward and looked at Bella with an almost pleading look.

Before she could say anything else, Edward said, "Hi, Bella."

His voice hadn't changed and neither did it's effect on her. She felt her shoulders relax and she unclenched her fist. After a moment, she said, "Hi, Edward."

Emmett let out a deep sigh. He was never really good at hiding his feelings.

She had spared Edward the briefest glances when she greeted him. She refused to look at him. Bella knew if she did, she'd be lost. She did not want to give him that kind of power over her. Instead, she focused her attention on the cap of her water bottle as if it had the meaning of life etched on it somewhere.

Emmett said, "Edward was finished with work sooner than he anticipated and decided to take an earlier flight. He just got in."

Bella now read the label of her water bottle as if her life depended on her knowing that the water from her bottle came from the purest mountain spring in Tibet.

"I picked him up." Emmett added. He looked at Edward who was looking at Bella who was looking down at her water bottle. Emmett cleared his throat.

Bella took in a short breath before she looked up and was surprised to see that Edward was looking at her so intently. She licked her lips before she said, "How was your flight?"

Edward's eyes widened for a moment at being addressed by Bella. "I-It was fine."

She nodded. "Well, I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do." She turned to walk up the stairs to go to her room.

Emmett said, "We're going to Black's for some food and drinks."

Bella turned to face Emmett and said, "I hope you guys have a good time."

Emmett took a step forward. "When I said we, I meant all three of us."

"I'm not hungry." Her stomach betrayed her and let out a growl.

Emmett smiled.

"Look, you guys go on without me. I just got back and I'd have to shower and change and that could take some time."

Emmett picked up his coat from the banister. "That's a good idea. We'll go on ahead. I'll order something for you and you can meet us there when you're done getting ready."

"Emmett." Bella grounded out.

"Be there in twenty minutes."

"I've got a paper to write!"

"You've always got papers to write."

"Yeah. And they take time."

"You were going to eat anyway." He slipped on his coat.

She was going to tell him what he could eat when Emmett stepped forward and said, "Bella." In a low voice, he added, "Please."

She knew it was pretty serious if he was begging her. She crossed her arms and said, "Fine."

He gave her a wide grin and he said, "Good. See you in a few."

Bella ran up the stairs and they heard her door slam.

Emmett walked to the front door and Edward followed.

When they were on the sidewalk, Edward said, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Emmett shrugged. "It'll be fine." They got into his truck.

"I don't know," Edward said. "She looked really mad"

Emmett turned the key and his truck rumbled. "That's not mad."

"If that's not mad, then what was it?" Edward looked at Emmett.

Emmett placed a finger on his chin. "I'd say it's aggravation with a hint of annoyance."

Edward's brow wrinkled. "Emmett, that's being mad."

Emmett shook his head. "When Bella's mad, elbows are thrown and fists go flying."

Edward's eyes widened. "I don't remember her ever getting that mad before."

Emmett raised a finger. "Ah. But you see, she's been living with me for the past seven years. I'd like to think that she's learned to channel her anger through my guidance."

Edward ran his hand through his hair. "You mean you've pissed her off so many times in the last seven years that she may need anger management classes now?"

Emmett laughed.

"That's not funny. You've been tormenting her for the last seven years."

"I'm her older brother. Could you really expect any less of me?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "She probably wants to rip my head off."

It was a minute before Emmett said, "No. She doesn't."

Edward looked at Emmett. "Do you want to rip my head off?"

A corner of Emmett's mouth pulled up. "No."

Emmett stopped at the red light and looked at Edward's profile. Emmett was not a man of many words and he did not discuss feelings. At all.

After a moment, Emmett took a chance and said, "I don't know what happened between you and Bella, but it can't be unforgivable."

Edward looked away at the window and at Emmett. He studied Emmett's expression before he said, "I've really missed you guys."

Emmett smiled and the light turned green. He stepped on the gas and the car moved forward. Then he said, "Yeah, well us Swans have that effect on people."

Edward chuckled.

Soon they were at Black's. Emmett pulled into the parking lot and parked his truck. They climbed out of it and walked to the bar.

"Is this place any good?" Edward asked.

"Yeah. Do you remember Jacob Black?"

Edward thought for a minute. "Yeah. He played football for La Push High School. Really good receiver."

"That's the one. This is his dad's bar, but sometimes Jacob helps out."

"What does Jacob do now?"

"He rebuilds classic cars." They found some empty stools at the end of the bar and sat down.

"He didn't play ball in college?"

Emmett shook his head. "His dad is sick and didn't want to leave him."

Edward nodded.

A tall, dark haired young man behind the bar approached them. "Hey, Emmett. What can I get you and your friend?"

Emmett shook hands with the bartender. "Embry." He turned to Edward and made introductions.

"Wait, Edward Cullen? Weren't you the quarterback for Forks High?"

Edward nodded. "That was a long time ago."

"Do you still play?"

"No."

An older gentleman with a salt and pepper colored ponytail at the end of the bar cut in. "Embry, are you going to talk their ears off or get them drinks?"

"Sorry." Embry looked at Emmett. "The usual?"

Emmett nodded.

"And what can I get you?" He asked Edward.

"Whatever Emmett's having is fine."

Embry took out two frosty pints and poured out an amber colored beer from the tap. He served them to Edward and Emmett.

"Is there anything else you guys need?"

Emmett said, "Is the kitchen still open?"

"Sure."

"Bella's coming in a few minutes and she's going to want to have dinner."

At the sound of Bella's name, Embry's eyes lit up which Edward noticed. "Bella's coming in?"

Emmett smiled before he took a sip of his beer.

"I'll let the kitchen know." Embry was off quick.

"Aren't you going to order something for her?" Edward asked.

Emmett shook his head. "They know what she likes."

Edward sipped his beer. Then he said, "I guess you guys come here often."

"Yeah. Bella's friends with Jacob." Emmett took another sip of his beer.

"Oh." Edward looked down at his beer. He tried to remember what Jacob looked like, but he was drawing a blank. How had Bella become friends with him? Were they just friends? Edward looked at Emmett.

Edward waited for Emmett to explain, but his attention was caught by Bella entering the bar. Her face was lightly flushed from her run and her hair was down, but still a little damp from her shower. When she walked toward them, it was like it was happening in slow motion.

"Edward?"

"What?" He tore his eyes away from Bella and looked at Emmett.

"I said did you want anything from the kitchen?"

"No."

Embry who had been at the other end of the bar, walked over to their side when he saw Bella approach. "Bella!"

She stood behind Emmett and Edward. "Hi, Embry."

"What can I get you?"

Normally she'd get a lemonade, but she knew she needed something a little stronger. "How about a Fat Tire?"

Embry nodded and reached in the fridge. He took out a tall bottle of beer and popped the cap off.

Since Emmett was sitting at one end of the bar, the other available seat was next to Edward.

And she was pretty sure Emmett made sure of that too.

Embry placed her drink at the empty spot next to Edward. She hesitated before she took her seat.

"Glass?" Embry asked.

Bella waved it off. "No thanks." She took a pull from her beer. It had a bite to it and she felt it sit in her stomach. She needed something to eat or else it was going to go straight to her head.

"Embry, is Leah-"

"Yeah. She's making you something right now."

Bella smiled. "Thanks."

Embry returned her smile with an even bigger one. "No problem."

He lingered there for a minute before he was called away by another patron at the other end of the bar.

"Bella, you got to stop doing that," Emmett said.

"Doing what?" Bella looked over at Emmett, but since Edward was sitting in between them, she ended up looking at Edward. She quickly averted her eyes.

Great.

"You know. Driving Embry crazy."

"What? All I ordered was a beer."

"He practically tripped over himself when you smiled at him."

This time Bella leaned over the bar to look at Emmett. "That just means he'll be ready to meet me out back when he's done with his shift."

Edward choked on his beer.

Emmett patted him on his back. "Bella, we don't want to hear about your nasty hook-ups. Obviously it's really traumatizing to some of us."

"Um." Bella pointed to herself. "Pot." Then she pointed at Emmett. "Kettle."

Edward laughed.

Embry came back with Bella's dinner. "Here you go."

Grilled cheese and tomatoes. Bella couldn't help smiling. "Thank you."

Emmett cleared his throat.

Bella's smile dimmed slightly. "Tell Leah thanks for me."

"Sure."

Embry pretended to polish down the bar next to Bella, but then Leah barked out that there was an order up. "Uh, excuse me." He turned to go pick up the order, but not before tripping and recovering himself before he fell on his face.

Bella kept a straight face, but Emmett let out a small laugh.

"Emmett, will you stop that!" Bella admonished him once Embry was gone.

"You really need to put him out of his misery, Bella."

A corner of Bella's mouth pulled up. "But he's such a good kisser."

Emmett stood up quickly. "I'm going to talk to Billy." He moved with such speed to the other end of the bar which surprised Edward.

They were both quiet for a moment before Edward said, "So you and Embry. . ."

Bella picked up a french fry. "No. I just say stuff like that to make Emmett uncomfortable."

Edward smiled before he took a sip of his beer.

Bella worked on her sandwich and french fries while Edward nursed his beer. The silence was not uncomfortable, but it was tense.

"So-"

"What-"

They both started at the same time.

Edward said, "Please. You go ahead."

Bella hesitated before she said, "I'm sorry about earlier."

Edward looked at her with a confused expression.

Bella shifted in her seat. "When you were at the house earlier. I didn't mean to sound so. . . hostile."

Edward shrugged. "To say you were surprised would probably be putting it lightly."

Bella took a long drink from her beer. After a moment, she said, "You could say that." She didn't want to have this conversation right now. Seven years of nothing and then all of a sudden she was sitting next to him having a beer. It was too much to take in at the moment.

She said, "Emmett said that you were here to help with Alice's wedding."

He nodded.

"I just. . . that's kind of weird."

He looked at her. "Why?"

"Why would you want to help with the wedding?"

"Why not?"

"Because you're a guy."

He opened his mouth to say something and closed it. After a moment he said, "I don't know exactly what she has planned for me to do."

"Oh." She took a bite of her grilled cheese sandwich and said, "Have you met her fiancé yet?"

He nodded. "I actually introduced them."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I went to school with Jasper in Berkeley."

"I forgot that he went to Berkeley."

"So, is Alice having you help out in the wedding?"

She nodded. "I'm a bridesmaid."

"Oh. That should be fun."

She gave Edward a baleful look.

"No? Not fun." He couldn't help smiling.

She took a long pull from her beer.

"That bad, huh?"

Bella put her beer on the bar. "Alice is actually not that bad, it's the maid of honor who bothers me."

"What do you mean?"

"She's really bossy and obsesses over stupid details." She lowered her voice. "I think she's a little superficial too."

Edward continued to listen.

"Her name is Rosalie."

Edward's eyebrows shot up.

"You know her?" Bella asked.

He cleared his throat and nodded.

"I think she's Jasper's sister."

"Yes."

"She wants to do all these things for Alice like a bridal shower, a wedding shower, and a bachelorette party. I love Alice, but it's also getting kind of expensive."

"I see."

"And it seems like Rosalie has expensive tastes."

"Yeah."

"If I had a real job and not going to school part time, it wouldn't be a problem."

"Should I talk to Alice about it?"

"God, no!" Bella grabbed Edward's arm. He looked down at her hand on his arm and she quickly let go. She lowered her voice. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay." He gave her a good natured smile.

"Please don't say anything to Alice or Rosalie. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place. I'm such a bad bridesmaid."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, I'm honored that Alice wants me to be in her wedding. I shouldn't be complaining."

"It's okay. You're allowed to vent."

Bella took a deep breath. How was this possible? They hadn't talked for nearly seven years and it felt like they just continued where they left off. All the apprehension and disappointment she felt when Edward arrived seemed to be distant memories now. Bella remembered that he had a talent for drawing her out of her bad moods.

Or maybe it was the beer.

Before Bella could think about it anymore, Emmett came over. "Are you done with dinner, Bella?"

"Yeah."

"I'm ready to head out. I'm sure Edward's tired and I've got an early shift tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Emmett. If I had known, I would've-" Edward said.

Emmett waved him off. "It's not a problem."

Edward took out his wallet.

"It's already taken care of," Emmett said.

"Thanks."

They waved good bye to Billy and Embry and headed out the door.

While they made their way to their cars, Emmett said, "So, your girlfriend's name is Rosalie?"

Bella stopped in her tracks.

"Well, I-"Edward looked at Emmett and then at Bella. "It's complicated."

"I heard she's gorgeous." Emmett absently fumbled for his keys in his pocket.

"Um, sure." Edward rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at the ground.

Bella was parked next to them. "I'll see you at home, Emmett."

"OK. Bell."

She hesitated before she said, "Night, Edward."

Edward looked at her before he said, "Night, Bella."

She got in her car and pulled out of her parking space. She left before Emmett and was glad that she'd get home before him. He was taking Edward to the Cullens' house and they lived about ten minutes away. At the very least, she could pretend she was asleep when he got home.

She needed time alone to beat herself up. Of course he'd know Rosalie! She's Jasper's sister. They've probably known each other for a while. Bella did not even want to think about how long they've been dating.

Bella pulled up in front of the townhouse and cut off the engine. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel. So much happened this evening and yet she was sure this was only the beginning. She couldn't believe what an idiot she had been. Bella could not believe that she insulted Edward's girlfriend like that. She should've kept her mouth shut like she had planned. Bella did not even want to think what Edward thought of her now after the remarks she made about his girlfriend.

Bella swiped at the tears that threatened to escape her eyes. She got out of her car and went inside the house. Then she climbed the stairs to her room. Without bothering to turn on the lights, she stripped out of her clothes and found an old t-shirt on her bed.

Bella climbed in and lay for a while in bed, trying to fall asleep and not think about this evening. Unfortunately, under the cover of darkness in her bedroom, her thoughts always strayed to Edward.

In high school, her thoughts would be about all the starry-eyed scenarios a teen-age girl could come up with the boy she had a crush on. But more recently, her feelings were full of regrets and what could've beens. She was hurt and a little angry over the fact that Edward cut himself out of her life. She resented the fact that it was so easy for him to leave without so much as a goodbye.

But what she really hated was that although Edward made it clear that he didn't want anything to do with her, there was a small part of her that always harbored some hope that she'd have a chance to be with him. After tonight, Bella knew there was no hope at all.


	2. Chapter 2: Elegant Creature

_A/N: You guys are insane. Over 900 hits on the first chapter. (Maybe some of you guys were checking to see if I updated.) I hope I can live up to your expectations. My beta is on vacation, so I might not be able to post for a while. But if it's any consolation, I've written the story up to chapter 6 already. Thank you for all the kind reviews. It means a lot to me especially since this is my first Twilight fanfic. _

_Special thanks to my beta spotzle! If you haven't read her story A Matter of Convenience, I highly recommend it. It's AU/AH._

**Chapter 2 "Elegant Creature"**

_The world is a vampire, sent to drain_

_Secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames_

_And what do I get, for my pain?_

_Betrayed desires, and a piece of the game_

"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by The Smashing Pumpkins

Bella's gloved right fist connected squarely with the punching bag with a resounding thump. Then she threw a left uppercut. She felt a sting on her knuckles that let her know that her punches rang true.

She had _Smashing Pumpkins_ blaring on her iPod speakers to help drown out her thoughts. It helped to some extent, but when there was a lull in the music, her thoughts would stray to Edward.

It had been three days since the night at Black's, but it was like Emmett and Edward were making up for lost time and they made plans together every evening. She could not avoid seeing Edward, but she managed to exclude herself from all their male bonding outings.

All except last night's event.

Emmett worked for Seattle Parks and Recreation and he had just started a rotation for Discovery Park which is the largest park in Seattle. Since the summer season was coming up, more and more people were coming out to enjoy the fortuitous weather and natural surroundings.

Originally, Edward and Emmett had planned to go shoot pool, but since Emmett was tired from his long shift, they ordered pizza and watched the Mariner's game.

She would've kept to her room while they were downstairs bonding, but she had already been watching the game when Edward first showed up with the pizza to be followed later by Emmett.

It was the longest evening of her life.

Bella had somehow managed to not really look at Edward the first night he had returned. Even while they were at the bar, she managed to keep her eyes on her grilled cheese sandwich. It was not easy though.

However, under the bright lights of the kitchen and sitting next to each other on the sofa, Bella got an eyeful and then some.

She beat the punching bag as if she were trying to knock some sense into herself. Even after all these years, Bella still hoped that she had a chance with Edward. She was afraid that she was so transparent last night even though she knew it was a hopeless cause.

She could feel her knuckles getting raw under the punches and cringed not because of the discomfort, but because she was sure Edward noticed how much she stared and gawked at him last night.

It was not her fault. The minute she answered the door and saw Edward standing on the porch with a pizza box, she knew she was in trouble. She had to stop herself from taking the food from his hands, throwing him against the wall, and-

She threw a roundhouse kick, a jab, and an undercut at the bag. She needed to get out her frustration before they went over the Cullens' house tonight.

Bella could not help hating herself for still reacting this way whenever he was around. She thought after the first time they saw each other, they could meet like friends, but she knew it was not possible. What frustrated her the most was that it seemed Edward was unaffected by their separation.

She thought back to the moment they were in the kitchen alone. Bella had led Edward there to put away the pizza while Emmett was upstairs showering and changing.

While Edward placed the pizza in the oven, Bella had gone to the fridge for a beer. Emmett was quite the beer connoisseur, and so Bella had crouched down to look at the various choices and read them off to Edward.

Without warning, Edward had walked over and stood behind her. He had one hand on the the door and the other on the side of the fridge. He crouched beside her, his face level with hers, reading the labels on the beer bottles. She tried to keep her eyes trained on the beer labels as if her life depended on it, but they betrayed her and she watched Edward as his lips moved while he read off the labels.

She bit her lip when he said Michelob.

She did not know what he had decided on, but when he reached in to grab a beer, Bella caught sight of the faint scar below his right ear.

Edward had gotten it climbing a tree. He had slipped, and scraped the side of his face against it. It was small and nearly faded.

At the time, he was very upset with himself because he had made a bet with Emmett and the winner who reached the top of the tree got to sit next to Lauren Mallory on the bus the next day. Not only did he lose the bet, but his pride was hurt too.

Bella felt bad for Edward. After his dad Dr. Carlisle cleaned up the abrasion and bandaged it, Bella kissed him there. She told him that she was sorry that he wouldn't get to sit next to Lauren on the bus, but that he could sit next to her. She had just turned eleven and Edward was twelve.

She certainly wasn't eleven now, and if she kissed the mark below his ear again, it certainly would not be because she felt sorry for him.

The music had changed and _Pretty Handsome Awkward_ by The Used came on. She couldn't help letting a small smile spread across her lips and continued to demolish the punching bag.

Emmett was making a sandwich when he heard the doorbell. He looked at his creation with a bit of longing, and went to answer the door.

He opened it and was surprised to see Edward. "Hey, Edward. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood."

Emmett stepped aside and Edward walked in and followed Emmett to the kitchen. Emmett continued putting his sandwich together. "Hungry?"

Edward shook his head.

Emmett continued piling on cheese and roast beef on his sandwich. "I thought we were coming over your house tonight."

"You are. You know there will be food, right?" Edward looked at the sandwich Emmett was building with a slight look of disbelief.

"Yeah. This is just a snack." Emmett put a slice of wheat bread on the stack of meat and cheese.

"Um. OK."

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" He took a bite of his sandwich.

"I'm good. Alice has a big spread planned for tonight."

Emmett said something, but Edward said, "What? Your mouth is full."

Emmett picked up his beer and took a swig. After a moment, he said, "Really? I thought we were just going to order something and pick it up."

"Yeah, well, when I told Alice that you guys were coming over tonight, she made a big deal about it and insisted that we have something proper to eat."

Emmett smiled. "Is she cooking?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "She's making meatball sandwiches."

"Ah! That's my favorite!"

He laughed and then said, "Yeah. So maybe you should stop eating, so you don't disappoint Alice because you've eaten already."

"I told you this was just a snack. And besides," he held up his sandwich, "It won't be another hour until we leave and who knows how long until we eat."

"There's going to be a lot of food. Alice also invited Jasper and Rosalie."

Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "Your girlfriend is going to be there tonight?"

"Emmett." He gave him a warning look.

"What? It's about time we got to meet her."

"It's not like I've been hiding her. Her work requires her to travel a lot."

"Well, I've heard that she's gorgeous."

"Where'd you hear that from?"

"Bella." He took a bite from his sandwich.

This time Edward's eyebrows shot up. "She's met Rosalie?"

Emmett chewed and swallowed. "No, she's only seen pictures."

"Oh." He hesitated before he said, "Where is Bella anyway?"

"I think she's still in the garage."

"What she doing in there?"

"Beating the crap out of the punching bag."

Edward was looking out the back window for any signs of Bella, but when he heard Emmett's last comment he turned his head to look at him. "She's what?"

"She's been taking kick boxing classes."

"Really?"

"Well, dad got concerned about some muggings that he had heard about out here, and wanted Bella to be able to handle herself."

"So, she signed up for kicking boxing?"

"I tried teaching her some moves, but. . ." He cleared his throat, "She can be really aggressive."

One of Edward's eyebrows curved. "Aggressive? What do you mean?"

"She catches on real fast and she shows no mercy."

Edward held back his laugh. "I didn't think she had it in her. But then again," he smiled, "With a brother like you, I suppose she really had no choice."

"Hey, if I were caught in a brawl, I'd pick Bella to be on my side before I'd pick you."

Edward threw his head back and laughed. Then he said, "Come on, Emmett. Bella?"

He lowered his voice and put his sandwich down. "Dude, she can be vicious."

Edward shook his head. "I think you're exaggerating."

Emmett gestured with his chin toward the door next to the fridge. "That's the door to the garage. Have a look for yourself." He picked up his sandwich, but before he took a bite, he said, "If Smashing Pumpkins are playing, don't interrupt her. She only plays them if she really wants to go off."

"What if something else is playing?" Edward was becoming concerned.

He thought for a moment before he said, "It should be fine. Just don't sneak up on her."

"Okay." Edward was about to ask why would he want to sneak up on Bella if she was in an ass kicking mood, but thought better of it. Emmett had turned pestering Bella into an art form.

Edward walked over to the door and opened it. The music blared with the chorus from _Pretty Handsome Awkward_. He looked over at Emmett who gave him the thumbs up sign.

Edward stepped into the garage. Bella's back was toward him, so she didn't know he had entered. He was going to say something, so she'd know he was there, but he was totally caught off guard at what he saw.

She moved with a certainty and strength that surprised him. Her punches were sound and her kicks were solid. And yet she delivered each punch and kick with such grace that Edward had never seen anything so exquisite and powerful at the same time.

She had an intense expression on her face which Edward found incredibly provocative. She looked like she could break someone in half and yet he could not help being captivated.

It was like watching an elegant creature that you wanted to possess, but you couldn't because its strength was overwhelming.

Edward had always remembered Bella as thoughtful, kind, and at times shy. Last night, she was the same way, but as the night wore on, she was a little less guarded and even friendly.

At one point, during the game, Emmett went to the kitchen to get more beer and pizza, leaving Edward and Bella on the couch. Alone.

Bella was in the middle. He sat on her left side while Emmett was on her right. When Emmett went to the kitchen, Edward felt his body tense.

He shifted in his seat and said, "Are you enjoying the game?"

"Yeah." After a moment, she said, "You?"

He nodded. Then he said, "I didn't know you were into baseball."

She shrugged. "You can call it part of the indoctrination process."

He smiled. "Indoctrination process?"

"Between our dad and Emmett, there was no way I stood a chance."

"I can see that." He let out a small laugh.

"Emmett says that I should be thankful. The guy I end up with will worship me."

"I don't think your appreciation for sports is what he'll worship."

Before she could respond, Emmett returned with a fresh beer and another slice of pizza. "Hey, the only person who should be trying to get to first base is the batter on TV."

Edward's eyes widened at the comment, but Bella was quick to respond, "It's none of your business how far Edward gets."

Edward sat up in his seat. "But, I-"

"Besides, I don't let a guy get to first base until like the third date."

They turned to look at Bella. "You don't?" They both asked.

"No." She had a small smile on her face when she said, "But in Edward's case, I'd probably let him get to second base."

Emmett choked on his beer and sputtered, "Don't even joke about stuff like that!" He shuddered.

Edward looked at Bella who was resolute on focusing her attention on the TV.

Did she really think about him in that way? Or maybe she was just trying to get a rise out of Emmett for his previous comment? Edward had no idea and yet, he could not also help liking the possibility that Bella was attracted to him.

The music faded and Edward took that moment to clear his throat and make his presence known. Bella looked up and saw him standing in the doorway. Before the next song started, she walked over to her iPod speakers and shut them off.

She looked at him. "Edward?"

"Sorry." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Emmett said you were in here."

She blinked several times before she said, "What are you doing here? I thought we were going over your house tonight."

"Oh, yeah. I was in the neighborhood."

"Okay."

_Crap_, Edward thought. He didn't realize he was so obvious.

She walked toward him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, why?"

"Well, we're supposed to be at your house in about an hour, and. . ."

"Oh, Alice sent me out to get something for tonight and I figured since I was in the neighborhood, I'd stop by." He really didn't think this through. "Did you need help with anything?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Um, you mean with getting ready?"

He opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out.

Bella undid the Velcro on her gloves and threw them on the tool bench.

Edward saw her knuckles and swore. "Are you okay?" He took Bella's hands in his and examined them.

She shifted in her spot. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

She tried to pull away, but he would not let her go. "Maybe my dad should look at these."

"No!" She cleared her throat when he looked up at her. "I mean, it's OK. This happens all the time."

At that moment, Emmett walked in. "What are-" He saw that Edward was holding Bella's hands. Edward dropped his hands, but Emmett said, "What happened, Bella?"

She held her hands behind her. "Nothing."

He walked over to her. "Let me see."

She tried to walk around Emmett, but since Emmett was huge, that was not an option. She hesitated before she showed him her hands.

When he saw that her knuckles were torn and bruised, Emmett said, "What the hell did you do?"

"Nothing." She withdrew her hands and walked back into the house.

"Isabella Marie!" Emmett was hot on her heels. Edward followed at a cautious distance.

Bella looked in the freezer for some ice. "I'll be fine."

"Why did you do this to yourself?" He reached around Bella and took a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and gave them to her.

"I haven't worked out in a while, so I guess I just got caught up and lost track of what I was doing."

Emmett shook his head. "At some point, you must've felt the pain."

For his size and brawn, Emmett was really caring. Bella tried to give him a reassuring smile. "It stings a little."

"A little?" Emmett shook his head. "Hold out your hands."

Feeling guilty for worrying Emmett, Bella did as she was instructed. Emmett placed the bag of frozen peas over her hands. "How does that feel?"

"Better."

Emmett turned to Edward. "Come here."

"What? No, it's okay." Bella tried to pull her hands away.

Emmett held them in place with the bag of frozen peas. He said, "Edward, hold this on her hands while I go look for some ointment and pain killers."

He nodded and took Emmett's place. Emmett left the kitchen and went to the upstairs bathroom to look for the ointment and pain killers.

"You must've been really upset about something." Edward said as he held the bag of frozen peas in place.

Bella looked down at the bag of frozen peas that Edward was holding over her knuckles. Underneath, his other hand supported hers. They were warm compared to the bag of peas.

She shrugged.

"This was something I definitely remembered about you."

Bella looked up at him and said, "What?"

"How accident prone you are."

"I-I know. It was stupid." She looked down at the bag of frozen peas again.

After a moment, Edward said, "So, what were you upset about?"

Bella sighed. "I wasn't upset."

Edward waited for her to continue.

After a moment, she said, "I just got lost in my thoughts."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

He chuckled. "It had to be something since your knuckles are pretty raw from all the thinking you were doing."

She looked up at him. Edward stared back at her with the same intensity. After a minute, Bella said, "Why are you here?"

He brushed away a strand of hair from her cheek. "I don't know."

"Edward, don't encourage her." Emmett entered the kitchen and placed the ointment and Advil on the kitchen island.

He withdrew his hand. "I wasn't-"

"When we were kids, and she'd get in an accident, you were there to nurse her cuts and bruises which I think only encouraged her even more."

Bella felt her cheeks burn. "That's not true! I can't help it if I'm accident prone."

"It seemed to get worse whenever Edward was around." Emmett unscrewed the top of the tube of ointment.

"No, it didn't!" _Did it? S_he wondered.

Emmett raised an eyebrow at her and then looked at Edward who still held the bag of frozen peas in place. "And don't deny you liked coming to her rescue."

Edward's eyes widened. "What was I supposed to do? Just ignore it every time she hurt herself?"

Emmett shook his head and squeezed out some ointment from the tube. "Bella's not as fragile as you think." He took the bag of peas off her knuckles.

Edward looked down at Emmett applying the ointment on her knuckles. "I never thought she was."

But Emmett plunged on. "You know, I meant what I said if I ever got in a fight, I'd want Bella by my side."

"You said that?" Bella was stunned.

Emmett nodded. "You've come along way, Bella. You don't need rescuing."

Bella smiled and watched as her older brother gingerly spread ointment on her raw knuckles. "So, what is it that you're doing now?"

Emmett didn't miss a beat. "Taking care of my little sister."

The telephone rang before Bella could say anything.

Emmett handed the tube of ointment to Edward. "Finish this for me." He walked over to the cordless phone that was in its cradle on the kitchen counter.

He read the caller ID screen. "It's work." He walked down the hall and they could hear him answer the phone, but the rest of his conversation was muffled.

Edward continued administering the ointment on Bella's knuckles. After a moment, he said, "I think he's a little annoyed with me."

Bella's eyebrows shot up. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't think he liked the attention I gave you whenever you were hurt."

"I don't think it's that."

He put the last of the ointment on her knuckles and turned to the sink to wash his hands. "Well, he definitely sounded testy."

Bella took a step toward the kitchen island and opened the bottle of Advil. "I can guarantee that none of it was directed toward you."

Edward opened the fridge and took out a water bottle. He opened it and then he handed it to Bella. She took it, then she popped the pills in her mouth, and sipped water from her bottle.

After a moment, she said, "It's always kind of been like this. I get hurt, you help me, Emmett gets upset."

Edward chuckled. "If you put it that way, then this wasn't as bad as the time I tried to teach you how to ride a skateboard."

Bella cringed at the memory. She managed to get a sprained ankle and a bloody nose that time.

They were leaning side by side on the kitchen counter. Bella was studying the mess she made of her knuckles and Edward was watching her. After a moment, he said, "I bet it's not as bad as it looks."

"No, but it means my hand modeling career is over." They both chuckled.

Then she said, "I guess I should start getting ready."

"Please, try to contain your excitement."

"I love Alice, but she tends to. . ."

"Be over the top sometimes?" He smiled.

"Actually, she's gotten a lot better about keeping things simple."

"If you're trying to ask me whether or not you have to get dressed up for tonight, I can assure you that she won't freak out if you wear jeans."

She smiled. "Good. I think Jasper has been good for her. She's mellowed out a lot since they started going out."

He nodded.

It felt like a third entity had entered their conversation, but neither of them were willing to acknowledge it.

After a moment, Edward said, "You know, you were pretty intense back there."

She looked up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I get why Emmett would want you on his side if he was caught up in a brawl."

She couldn't help laughing. "Punching a bag and punching a person are two entirely different things."

"I don't know. You handled yourself really well."

"Thanks, but I think you're exaggerating."

"It was pretty hot the way you beat up that bag."

Suddenly, she became conscious of her appearance. She wore a charcoal gray exercise tank top and black boot cut work out pants. Her gray trainers peeked out from under her pants. She reached up to touch her hair and found that the bun she haphazardly put her hair in had come loose and her hair was now in a limp ponytail. She didn't even want to contemplate how she smelled. She shifted in her spot.

"What's wrong?" Edward looked at her with concern.

"Um." She smoothed down the stray wisps of hair around her face. "It seems like every time we've seen each other, I'm either a sweaty mess or I've been lounging at home in my pajamas."

He smiled and said, "So?"

"So?" She took a step away from the kitchen counter and turned to face Edward. "How is that hot?"

Edward's eyes roamed her face and his lips were on the verge of a smile. "How is it not?"

She shook her head. "Whatever. Like you should talk."

"What?" He pushed himself off the counter.

"Oh come on, Edward! Have you looked at yourself lately?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

She looked at him and realized that he was totally clueless. "Never mind."

"No, what?" He stepped in front of her when she tried to leave the kitchen.

"I bet if you just rolled out of bed, you'd look good."

His eyebrows shot up. "You think-You find me attractive?"

"Oh, come on, Edward!" She hated that her cheeks were burning. "You had groupies in high school."

"That was Emmett."

"No, it was both of you guys."

"No, all the girls liked Emmett," he said.

"Well, yeah. But they were in love with you," she said.

He laughed. "That's not true."

"Are you really going to stand there and tell me that you never noticed how all the girls practically tripped over themselves hoping that you'd look their way?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I always thought they were interested in Emmett."

Bella stared at him with her mouth open. After a moment, she shook her head and said, "What about that time at the senior retreat when Jessica Stanley practically climbed into your sleeping bag?"

"You heard about that?"

"Emmett told me about it."

"I thought she got mixed up and thought I was Emmett."

"It was common knowledge how much she liked you."

He ran his fingers through his hair and shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure it was different in college." She gave him an expectant look.

"What do you mean?"

"You must've been really popular in college."

He shook his head.

"Right." She said.

"I wasn't."

"Sure." She tried to step around him, when he took a step to block her way.

"Wait."

"What?" She asked.

"So, do you find me even remotely attractive?"

She thought, _Is he serious? _But, she said, "Why does it matter?"

"I'm just curious."

"You can have any girl you want, Edward."

"But, I'm not asking just any girl."

She hated it when he looked at her this way. The expression in his eyes was supposed to be innocent, but the small smile that played on his lips conveyed his mischievous intent. Alice dubbed this look The Persuader. Bella had heard numerous stories from Alice about how Edward got away with so much when they were kids.

What really made The Persuader work, in Bella's opinion, was the color of Edward's eyes. It was easy to get lost in the depths of those amber pools. His eye color was hazel, but it would change depending on his mood. They were green when he was calm and collected. They would turn lighter, an almost amber color when he was nervous or excited about something.

Right now they were a warm amber color.

She wondered why he would be nervous or maybe even excited. She didn't think her answer would matter that much to him. She licked her lips, a nervous habit she didn't realize she had.

She was saved from answering him when they heard Emmett approaching the kitchen. He was swearing loud enough to be heard from the other side of the house.

Edward stepped aside and they saw Emmett coming toward them in the hall.

"What's wrong, Emmett?" Bella asked.

"Eric Yorkie called in sick. His sister is having a baby and her husband is out of town." He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"She's a couple of weeks early, but they're not too concerned about it." He picked up Bella's hands to examine them. When he was satisfied he put them down and said, "It looks like I'll be going to work tonight."

"Oh no," she said.

"A few of us are splitting up Eric's shift tonight, so no one has to work the full eight hours."

"Will you be able to make it tonight?" Edward asked.

"I'll only be able to stay for an hour, and then I'll be heading out." He didn't hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Oh, so. . . maybe I shouldn't go tonight," Bella said.

"What?" Emmett and Edward said at the same time.

"Why not?" Edward asked.

"Well, we were going to ride together and if Emmett's only going to stay for-"

"That's ridiculous, Bella," Emmett interrupted. "We'll still ride together, but I'm sure someone can give you a ride home later, so you don't have to leave early."

"I can give you a ride home," Edward said.

"But it'll be like the second time you've driven out here today."

Edward shifted in his spot. "I don't mind."

Emmett had returned to his sandwich and was eating. In between bites, he said, "They don't live that far, so what's the big deal?"

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get ready then." She left the kitchen and tried not to stomp up the stairs.

"What's gotten into her?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know." He watched her turn the corner before he turned to Emmett and said, "I'm going to head out. I'll let Alice know that you'll be leaving early."

"Alright. I'll see you later." Emmett continued eating his sandwich.

Edward saw himself out.

_To be continued. . ._


	3. Chapter 3: The Death of Me

**Chapter 3 "The Death of Me"**

"_Damn it, Bella! You'll be the death of me, I swear you will!"_

Edward Cullen, _Twilight_

The Cullens lived in Wallingford which was across Green Lake from where Bella and Emmett lived. It was near the university, so it had a liberal atmosphere, but mostly established families lived in the neighborhood.

The Cullens' home was a two story Craftsman style house. It had been remodeled with modern amenities and to also restore the historical details of the home. The house had a tan exterior with white trim and a wrap around porch with white railing and stone details on the posts. Jasmine bushes, hydrangeas, and marigolds were planted around the porch and lined the walk way. Red geraniums cascaded over pots that sat on the steps up to the porch.

Bella and Emmett had visited the Cullens before, but for Bella each time was a trial. Whenever she visited in the past, Edward was away, but the idea that he had been in the house, sitting on the same couch, walking in the same rooms would only make her long for him more. If she could punch herself, she would for being so pathetic as to actually look at a kitchen chair with yearning because Edward _might_ have sat there.

Now that she was going over to their house, knowing Edward would actually be there this time, she couldn't help feeling a little nervous. When she thought about it, the last time they hung out together was actually at the old Cullen house in Forks.

She tried to squash the small thrill that was rising in her when she and Emmett walked up to the house. Bella did not want to feel this way especially since Rosalie was supposed to be there. She dreaded having to watch her and Edward being a couple. She'd rather dig her eyes out with a rusty spoon.

Once they arrived, things went into full swing. Alice and Edward's parents, Dr. Carlisle and Esme, only stayed long enough to see Emmett and Bella arrive, then they were off to dinner and then to a production of Aida at the Seattle Opera House.

After they left for the evening, Alice made everyone gather in the kitchen to assemble their sandwiches. Bella was a little surprised that they ate at the breakfast nook rather than in the dining room. Alice was usually into making a big production out of things, but Bella realized that Edward really meant it when he said that Alice wanted to keep things simple.

She was nervous about being around Rosalie and Edward, but Jasper managed to put her at ease. During dinner, he kept her entertained with interesting trivia facts about the Civil War which she learned was a hobby of his. Whenever there was a lull in their conversation, there was no awkwardness. Jasper was really good at small talk.

After they finished dinner, they all moved into the family room. Emmett had to go to work at that point and Bella noted how reluctant he was to leave. When she followed him outside to say goodbye, she caught him giving Rosalie one last look before he went out the front door.

She didn't have time to ponder this gesture because Alice was calling her back to the family room. No doubt to make sure she didn't latch on to Emmett on his way out.

They took out Scrabble by the time she got back to the family room. Bella actually enjoyed the game and was eager to play. While they played, their conversation centered around inconsequential details about work, the wedding, and school.

She learned that Rosalie was a rare car broker. She traveled frequently to meet with potential clients and assess cars that have been restored. _Great_, Bella thought. Not only is Rosalie gorgeous, but she was also totally into cars. _Emmett would be interested in that tidbit,_ she thought.

She knew that Jasper and Emmett met at Berkeley, but she also learned that after Jasper graduated, he got into advertising. He freelanced and was apparently very successful. He had a knack for reading audiences and making his clients' products appealing to consumers.

Bella already knew what Alice did. What she didn't know was that Alice commuted between Seattle, New York City, and San Francisco to not only keep up with work, but also to maintain her relationship with Jasper. Jasper lived in Northern California, but they were still deciding where to settle down after they were married. Jasper admitted that he could do his job anywhere, but since Alice was a buyer for Nordstrom, she was limited to places that were always up to date with the latest fashions. If she wanted to stay in the United States, New York City would be the place.

Bella wondered how Edward was doing, but didn't have the courage to ask. It was as if Alice could read her mind, and suddenly asked Edward, "So, how's work going?"

Bella focused her attention on her tiles, but not really looking at the letters. She wanted to take in every detail of Edward's life right now.

When Edward found out Dr. Pruisner was going to teach at Berkeley, he transferred there in the hopes of working with him. It turned out after Edward graduated, he continued working with Dr. Pruisner who was a Professor of Virology. He was impressed with Edward, and after he graduated, Dr. Prusiner offered him a position on his research staff.

"So, you research viruses?" Bella asked.

"You could say that." Edward set a tile down on the board.

"Do you plan on going to medical school?" Bella looked down at her letter tiles.

He lifted one shoulder up and then down. "I don't know."

"Why not?"

"I don't think I want to be a doctor."

"Don't let dad hear you say that," Alice said.

"Why not?" Bella asked.

"I'm more interested in research."

"So, what are you studying?" Bella asked.

He hesitated before he said, "I'm studying hematology."

Bella looked up from her tiles. "What's that?"

Rosalie said, "It's the study of blood."

Edward gave Rosalie a sharp look. "It's a little more complex than that."

Surprised, Bella turned to Edward. "You study blood?"

Edward glared at Rosalie who sighed and said, "To be more precise, it's the study of blood and blood disorders."

"Oh," Bella resumed her study of her Scrabble tiles.

Rosalie continued, "Edward has an unusual interest in blood disorders. Right now he can't decide whether or not he wants to focus his research on type one diabetes or the HIV virus."

Edward said, "They're both equally fascinating."

He was about to go into how each virus attacks the blood when Rosalie held up a hand, "Don't geek out on us right now, please."

Edward opened his mouth and closed it.

For the first time this evening, Bella took a minute to really look at Rosalie and Edward. She managed to evade watching them be a couple during dinner by focusing all her attention on her conversation with Jasper.

They all sat around the large square, leather ottoman that doubled as a table while they played their game. Edward and Rosalie were seated beside each other. Bella was thankful for that; she could barely tolerate them sitting that close. She didn't think she could stomach the sight of them engaged in any other form of physical contact.

She snuck a glance at Rosalie who was concentrating on her tiles and on the board. Rosalie's sole focus seemed to be on the game which surprised Bella.

How could she pay so much attention on the game when Edward was close enough, within arm's reach? Bella didn't think she'd be able to keep her hands off of Edward if he was _her_ boyfriend.

Bella looked down at her tiles and then gave a tentative peek at Edward. He was studying his tiles too, but then he glanced up at her at the same moment, their eyes briefly meeting. She was quick to look away and return her attention back to her tiles.

To an outsider, Edward and Rosalie seemed to be a bit disinterested in each other, but that was hard to believe. Bella figured that they were the type of couple who just weren't very affectionate in public.

Alice's voice pulled Bella from her observations. "I think Edward's torn because he really enjoys working with Dr. Pruisner, but he was approached by the CDC about a position with them."

Bella looked up at Edward. "Isn't the CDC in Atlanta?"

"Yes." He looked at her.

"So, you might be moving to Atlanta?"

"I don't know yet."

There was a tense silence. Then Jasper said, "I think I'm going to have to throw in the towel. All I've got left are X, Q, and L."

Alice said, "Let's watch a movie!" She bounded over to the entertainment system and opened up the hutch that concealed their DVD collection.

"I'll be right back. I have to use the bathroom." Bella stood up and walked to the kitchen. She made her way through the kitchen, passing the laundry room to get to the powder room.

After she was done, Bella stepped out of the powder room and took out her cell phone from her back pocket. She had two text messages. One was from Jacob and the other was from Angela.

She opened Jacob's message.

_Hey, Bella! I'm back. Are we still on for tomorrow?_

She sent him a text back.

_Hey! WB! I have plans in the evening, but we can do something in the afternoon. I'll call you tomorrow._

She laughed to herself. Jacob had spent the latter part of the week in Oregon. He was rebuilding a 1965 Mustang. He traveled to Oregon because someone had the parts he needed. He had been working on the car for a year now and to Bella it didn't look any closer to being finished, but Jacob assured her that he was almost there.

That was one of the things that she loved about Jacob: his unwavering optimism. She had known Jacob since her senior year in high school, but they didn't really become friends until she moved out to Seattle. Jacob declined a football scholarship to the University of Washington because his father suffered a stroke. Jacob stayed behind to help his father recuperate. For the most part, Billy recovered, but sometimes needed a cane to assist him in walking.

Billy never really got over the guilt of 'holding back' his son as he called it, but Jacob never saw it that way. Family always came first and Jacob brushed off the opportunity and focused on going to the community college in Forks. After Jacob finished his AA degree, he applied to Evergreen State College in Olympia where he was a Biology major with an emphasis in animal behavior. After a semester, Jacob decided he was done with school. He was working part time for a man who needed help restoring a 1953 Cadillac Sedan. After the car was completed, Jacob earned a strong reputation for restoring cars.

Jacob moved to Seattle because it was easier for work, but Bella suspected it was because of her. Billy supported the move and eventually Jacob moved his father in with him. They opened Black's because Billy needed a purpose and Jacob thought it would be a good return on the money he was making from the restored cars.

During that time, Jacob and Bella became close friends. Bella spent many evenings hanging out in Jacob's garage while he worked. When they did go out, Bella was very clear they were just going as friends, but that didn't stop Jacob from pushing the boundaries of their friendship.

There was a time in their relationship when they did cross the lines of friendship. Bella did not like dwelling on it. She was also quick to put the boundaries back in place and Jacob did not push.

That had happened two years ago and they never spoke about it, but they were still good friends. Bella was looking forward to spending time with him.

She sent the message to Jacob and opened Angela's. Bella thought Angela was just confirming their plans for tomorrow night.

She read Angela's message.

_Call me asap. I have to talk to you about something._

Bella peeked from the kitchen into the family room and saw that they were all still trying to decide on a movie. She went out the back door and on to the porch and called Angela.

Angela picked up on the first ring.

Bella said, "Hey, Angela! What's up? I just got your message. My phone was off because I'm at the Cullens' house."

"Oh. Wow! How are things going? Is Edward there?" She asked.

"Fine. I'm actually still here."

"And?" Angela barely hid her excitement.

"And what?"

"How's Edward?"

Bella sighed. "Fine, and so is his gorgeous girlfriend."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Plus, Emmett had to bail to go to work, so I'm stuck."

"I'd offer to come pick you up, but I'm actually on my way out to Forks."

"What? Why? Is something wrong?"

"My mom hurt her hip, so she's supposed to stay off her feet for a while. I'm going home to help out with the house and my brothers."

"I'm sorry. Is she going to be OK?"

"Yeah. She was outside working in her garden and she tripped on a root. I think she's more upset with herself than anything."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, but I'm not sure how long I'll be in Forks."

"Oh."

"I mean, I might be back in time before Emmett leaves for his conference-"

Bella swore. "I forgot about that. Is that next week?"

Angela laughed. "Yeah. I know I said I'd stay with you while Emmett was out of town, but I don't think I'll be able to."

"No, of course not. You should be with your mom."

"Thanks. I'm really sorry."

"No worries."

They talked for a few more minutes before they said their goodbyes. Bella sat on one of the porch chairs. There was no way Emmett was going to let her stay at the townhouse by herself for a week. She just convinced him to let her go running at night. That took months of persuading. There was no way she could convince him before he left that she would be fine on her own for a week.

She thought about calling Emmett to let him know what happened with Angela, but she decided not to. She would just have to stand her ground that she'd be fine by herself for a week.

"Hey, there you are!"

Bella turned to see Alice step out on the porch. She said, "We were wondering what happened to you."

"Sorry, I had to make a phone call."

Alice sat on the chair next to hers. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes."

Alice raised an eyebrow at her.

"No," Bella slumped in her chair and told Alice about her predicament.

After she was done, Alice asked, "Bella, you're twenty-three years old. What's Emmett worried about?"

"It's a combination of him and dad. The only reason they let me move out to Seattle is because I was going to live with Emmett. They think that some catastrophe will happen if I'm left alone."

"Talk about over protective."

"I know! You know what Emmett told Edward earlier today?" She didn't wait for Alice to respond. "If he was ever in a fight, he'd want me by his side. Can you believe that?"

Alice shook her head.

"If he's that confident in my ass kicking abilities, why can't he just let me stay at home for a week by myself?"

Alice shrugged.

"And you know what the worse part of it is? No matter how much I try to convince him that I'll be fine on my own, dad will have the final say in the matter, and I'll have to go back to Forks while Emmett is gone."

"Charlie wouldn't do that."

"Yes, he would." Bella let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't want to miss classes and work just because my brother and dad won't let me live my life."

"I'm sure they're just concerned for your welfare."

"Alice! It's Fascism."

Alice couldn't help letting a small laugh escape her lips.

After a moment, Bella felt deflated. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"It's okay." She reached over and gave Bella a pat on the knee.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Edward stood in the doorway.

Alice looked up at her brother. "Bella is a little upset."

He took a step out on to the porch. "Why?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine now," Bella said.

Alice said, "She might have to go back to Forks for a week while Emmett is out of town."

Edward looked at Bella. "Were you planning on visiting your dad?"

"No." Bella crossed her arms across her chest.

Bella was not going to elaborate, so Alice explained Bella's situation.

After a moment, Edward said, "Sounds like Emmett hasn't change where your safety is concerned."

Bella rolled her eyes.

"It's really too bad because she's got responsibilities with school and work." Alice said while looking at her brother.

"You guys don't have to worry about it. I'll try to convince Emmett I'll be fine, but. . ." She knew it was a hopeless cause. Emmett would pack her bags while their dad waited outside in his truck for her.

Alice said, "I'd offer to stay with you, Bella, but I'll be leaving on Tuesday for New York. I've got to wrap some stuff up for work and the wedding."

For a moment, Bella was hopeful, but when she heard Alice was leaving so soon, she didn't think Emmett or Charlie would go for it. They loved Alice, but if she wasn't going to stay with Bella for a whole week, it didn't matter.

"Why doesn't she just stay here?"

Alice and Bella looked up at Edward.

"Yeah, but Alice said she was leaving Tuesday," Bella said.

"Yeah, but I'll still be here," he said.

Alice smiled. "That would be really nice of you, Edward."

Bella sat up. "No, wait."

"I'm sure Emmett would be okay with it," he said.

"Charlie might not, but I'll talk to him," Alice said.

"It's not like we'd be completely alone either. Mom and Dad would be here too," Edward said.

This appeased Bella a little, but the arrangement still did not sit well with her. She said, "But, I don't feel comfortable imposing on your family for a whole week."

Edward and Alice were quick to reassure her that it wouldn't be an imposition.

Bella was reluctant to acquiesce. The idea of spending a week with Edward was both exciting and daunting. Things between the two of them on the surface seemed fine, but there was this undercurrent of tension that she had a hard time ignoring. She still did not know why he became so distant all those years ago and then just cut off all contact with her.

But she also could not deny spending a whole week with Edward was her idea of apple pie a la mode. Her mouth was salivating at the potential situations they-

"Bella?"

"Huh?" She looked up to see Alice was gone and Edward had taken Alice's place next to her. "Where's Alice?"

"She went to go talk to Charlie."

"But I haven't told Emmett yet."

A corner of his mouth pulled up. "She figured if she got Charlie to agree first, Emmett would have to agree too."

She sat up in her chair. "But I haven't agreed."

He hesitated before he said, "Alice seemed to think that you were fine with it."

Alice must've somehow read her mind about the apple pie a la mode thought.

"But," She was desperate now for an excuse. "What about Rosalie?"

"What about her?"

She looked at him in shock. Then she said, "I'm sure she's not going to like this arrangement."

"She won't mind."

"You don't know that."

"Trust me."

"Are you really this dense?"

He looked at her in surprise.

Bella continued, "Are you telling me she's fine with you being practically alone for a week with another woman?"

Understanding dawned on Edward and he said, "She won't be concerned."

"How can you-" And then the realization hit her. Of course Rosalie wouldn't be concerned. Rosalie was the female equivalent of apple pie a la mode. When compared to Rosalie, Bella felt like the female equivalent of those lame lemon pies you get at the gas station. "Yeah, I guess not."

"So, you're going to stay?" He asked.

Bella stood up and put her phone in her back pocket. "It's not like I have a choice." She walked back into the house.

Edward followed after her. "I don't want you to feel like we're forcing you to stay."

They were in the kitchen. Bella turned around and looked up at Edward. "Let me see, go back to Forks and stay with Charlie or stay here with you. Gee. I think I'd rather take option number three which is to hack off my legs with a butter knife."

She turned to walk back to the family room, but Edward caught her arm. "Why are you so upset? I thought you'd be happy to stay here."

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Do you mean I should be happy that I get to spend time with you because I haven't seen you in the last seven years?"

"That's not what I-"

"Or maybe I should be _grateful_." There was venom behind the last word.

Edward flinched at her tone and said, "Bella, you're purposely misunderstanding me."

"Really? Because seven years ago you made it clear that you didn't want to have anything to do with me and now I'm supposed to act like I'm thrilled that I have the privilege to spend time with you."

"Is that what you think?"

"What else am I supposed to think, Edward? You were the one who ended our friendship. Then you left and I never saw you again. Then all of a sudden in a matter of days, I've seen you more times than I ever have in the last seven years and you act like everything is the same."

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

She pulled her arm away from his grasp. She almost denied it, but what would be the point.

"Is everything alright?" Rosalie stood in the doorway.

Bella felt her eyes getting wet, but she blinked back her tears. "I want to go home."

"Bella-" Edward said.

She held up her hand. "I'm not feeling well. I'd like _Alice_ to take me home."

Rosalie looked at Bella and then at Edward. Bella had turned away from Edward looking everywhere except at Rosalie or Edward. Edward was looking at Bella with a pained expression.

"Okay. She's in the family room with Jasper." Rosalie stepped aside.

Bella was quick to leave them in the kitchen. She found Jasper and Alice in the family room, sitting on the couch together.

"Bella, are you ready-" Alice took one look at Bella and stood. "What happened? What's the matter?"

"I'm not feeling well. I'd like to go home. Will you take me?"

Alice took a step forward. "I thought-"

Jasper stood and laid a hand on Alice's shoulder.

A few seconds later, Alice said, "Of course, I'll take you home."

Bella walked to the door with unusual speed. When they got to the door, Edward joined them, but Rosalie was no where to be seen.

"Bella, let me take you home," he said.

She shook her head.

Jasper leaned over and whispered something to Edward. He looked like he was going to say something to Jasper, but he held back. He looked at her and said, "Good night, Bella."

"Good night." She turned away and Alice followed her.

The ride home was quiet. Bella was thankful that Alice did not question her. When they pulled up in front of her place, Bella unbuckled her seat belt and was about to thank Alice, but Alice put a hand on her arm to stop her.

Alice said, "I'm sorry you're not feeling well."

"I'll be fine."

"If you can't make it to the bridesmaid dress fitting, I'll understand."

_Crap,_ she thought. "Is that this weekend?"

"Yeah, Sunday."

It was Friday. "I should be fine by then."

After a moment, she said, "I also talked to Emmett too."

She looked at Alice.

"Charlie is fine with you staying at our house, and so is Emmett." She hesitated before she said, "Will you be?"

"Yeah." But Bella didn't sound like she would be.

"Since Emmett is leaving early on Monday, he said it was a good idea that after the bridesmaid dress fitting, you can come to our place."

"But that isn't necessary. I can just come over on Monday evening."

"He said he would feel better knowing that you were with us before he left."

Bella let her head fall back on the head rest.

"I can cancel my trip to New York if that will make it easier for you."

Bella looked at Alice. "Oh, no. Don't do that. I know it's really important for you to finish up with work. And I'm sure you want to finalize the wedding details too."

"Those things can wait." She brushed away Bella's hair from her face. "You know you're my favorite person in the world."

Bella laughed. "Then why am I just a bridesmaid?"

Alice smiled and said, "Rosalie is Jasper's sister. It was kind of a gimme that she'd be my maid of honor."

"Right, I'll remember that when it's my turn to get married."

"I'll be your maid of honor." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Bella laughed again. "Aren't we a little confident?"

Alice looked at her with a serious expression. "I'm Edward's sister, so it's a gimme that I'd be your maid of honor."

Bella open and closed her mouth several times.

Alice leaned over and said, "Things will sort themselves out."

Bella fought back the tears that threatened to spill. "Alice, please don't joke about this."

"Since when do I joke about stuff like this?"

Bella let out a shaky breath. "You Cullens are going to be the death of me."

Alice laughed.

They said goodnight to each other and Bella climbed the stairs to her town home. She went straight to her room, stripped down to her underwear, and got into bed. When her head hit the pillow, she was asleep immediately. It was a fitful sleep because even in her dreams, she couldn't escape the pained expression on Edward's face when she left their house.

/&/

Edward opened the door to his bedroom, hoping to just slip into bed and forget the look in Bella's eyes when she left the house. He only got a few feet into his room when he saw Rosalie sitting on his bed in her pajamas.

_Crap,_ he thought. He forgot she was staying in his room to keep up pretenses.

Rosalie put her book down. "What happened? Did you talk to her before she left?"

He walked over to his bed and sat on the empty side. "Nothing. I didn't get to talk to her."

"Why not?"

"Jasper didn't think it was a good idea. He could tell she was really upset."

"Hell, I could even see that."

"Rosalie," He said in a warning tone.

"I'm sorry. It's just. . . this is a really weird situation."

"Yeah."

She set her book down on the bedside table. "Are you going to tell her?"

He looked at Rosalie. "Are you okay with that?"

She smiled and said, "I want you to be happy, Edward."

"What about Jasper and Alice?"

She shrugged. "I think they'll learn to live with disappointment." Then she added, "Besides, I think they're on to us."

"What makes you say that?"

Rosalie said, "They've never said anything before, but earlier today, Alice said that she was surprised that I brought my stuff to your room."

"So, I guess the charade really is gone." One of Edward's eyebrows curved. "But, what about you? Will you be able-"

She held up her hand. "I'll be fine. I'm a big girl. I can handle it. It was just easier using you as an excuse."

After a moment, a small smile crept on her lips. "Besides, you never mentioned how cute Emmett is."

Edward's eyes widened. "You think Emmett is cute?"

She lifted up one shoulder up and then down.

He said, "I didn't think he was your type."

She laughed. "I didn't think so either."

After a moment, Rosalie said, "Bella seems nice."

"She is."

"I hope it works out."

"I've really made a mess of things."

"Well, you have a whole week to sort it out."

Edward leaned back on the headboard. "Yeah, if she doesn't tear me into pieces first. I don't think she even likes me in that way."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, we all grew up together. I'm sure she sees me as a brother figure type."

"I don't know."

"What?"

"She wasn't looking at you like you were her brother."

He turned his head to look at Rosalie. "What are you talking about?"

Rosalie held up her hands. "I'm just telling you what I saw."

After a moment, Edward said, "So, can I have my room back?"

Rosalie feigned shock. "You're kicking me out?"

He smiled. "You can sleep in the guest room."

"I've already changed into my pajamas."

He looked at her nightgown. It was a sheer white cotton material and it had thin straps that fell just above her knee. Rosalie considered this her casual pajamas.

"Hey, you had your chance, sweetie," Rosalie said.

Edward laughed. "Don't worry. I'm going." He grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms before he left his room. "Night, Rosalie."

"Night, Edward."

He shut the door and made his way downstairs. He figured Alice and Jasper already went to bed, so when he got to the family room, he was a bit surprised to see Jasper on the couch, flipping through different TV stations.

Without looking up, Jasper said, "Hey, Edward."

He hesitated before he said, "Hey." He tossed his pajamas on the armchair of the sofa and took a seat next to Jasper.

They sat in silence for a few seconds while Jasper flipped through the channels and finally settled on an info-mercial about an adjustable mattress.

"The part where they jump on the bed with the wine glass is pretty good," Jasper said.

Edward looked at Jasper. "Uh, okay."

"It gives the audience the impression that this bed could really give you a good night's sleep."

Edward couldn't help smiling.

After they watched a bowling ball being dropped on the mattress, Jasper said, "I like Bella."

He looked at Jasper.

Jasper continued, "She listened to me when I talked about Civil War stuff."

"She probably found it all interesting."

"I think she did," Jasper put the TV remote down. "So, you're sleeping on the couch tonight?"

Edward hesitated before he said, "I was going to sleep in the guest room."

"Is Rosalie upset?"

"I don't think so."

Jasper thought for a minute. "I didn't think she would be."

"Are you. . ." Edward raked his fingers through his hair. "I like Rosalie, but not that way."

"I know."

Surprised, Edward said, "You knew?"

"I didn't think you were her type." He looked at Edward whose mouth was partly open. "Besides, there's that thing with Bella."

"What thing?"

"You know."

Edward opened his mouth, but Jasper cut him off. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"What are you-"

"It's okay, Edward."

"But-"

Jasper patted him on the shoulder. "The vibes you give off whenever you're near her are hard _not_ to notice."

Edward rubbed the back of his neck and swallowed. Before he could say anything else, Alice walked into the family room.

Edward stood up.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" She asked.

"Still out," Jasper said.

Alice looked at Edward. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

He shook his head. "How's Bella?"

She looked at Edward for a minute before she said, "Not too good."

"Maybe I should go talk to her." He took a step forward, but Alice held up her hand.

"She's sleeping now."

Edward let out a deep sigh.

Alice continued, "She'll start staying here on Sunday."

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "How did you get her to-"

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I just thought you should know."

When she turned to go upstairs, Edward said, "Alice, wait." She turned around and he continued, "Thank you."

She tilted her head to the side. "Just make sure you don't waste this opportunity. You've had more than enough time to figure things out."

"Alice-"

She shook her head. "You don't have to explain anything. I was happy when you and Rosalie started dating, but only because I thought you were happy."

"So, you're okay with-"

She kissed her brother on the cheek. "Just don't screw things up this time." She turned and walked to the staircase.

Jasper stood up and followed Alice. "Night, Edward."

"Night."

He sat on the couch and picked up the remote. After a minute of flipping through channels, he turned off the TV. He picked up his pajama pants and went to the guest room. He slipped out of his clothes and into his pajamas. When Edward laid on the bed, the coolness of the sheets on his skin made it hard to fall asleep. But once he did, memories of Bella in the garage and the punching bag played in his mind.

Instead of applying ointment to her battered knuckles, he dreamt that he kissed them.


	4. Chapter 4: I'd Rather Leave

**Chapter 4 "I'd Rather Leave Than Suffer This"**

_Don't want to be your monkey wrench_

_One more indecent accident_

_I'd rather leave than suffer this_

_I'll never be your monkey wrench_

"Monkey Wrench" by Foo Fighters

The morning light streamed through Bella's bedroom window, hitting her square on the face. She flipped over on to her side, but the sunshine was steadily filling up her room. The idea of checking the time had no appeal, but it could no longer be avoided when her cell phone went off. It was _Monkey Wrench_ by the Foo Fighters.

Bella couldn't help smiling and answered the phone. "Hi, Jacob."

"Hey, Bella. I waited for you to call."

Bella checked the time on her phone. She rolled her eyes. "Jacob, it's barely eight in the morning."

"You said we'd do something this afternoon."

"Yeah, the afternoon. It's morning right now."

He laughed. "Well, since you're up, I'll just-"

"No. I'm going back to sleep."

"Bella-"

"Jacob, I'll call you in a couple of hours."

"But-"

She hung up the phone and dropped it on the floor. Then picked up one of her pillows and covered her head. She was not a morning person.

At all.

/&/

Emmett picked up the coffee pot and filled up a tall cup. He took his coffee black. Putting in the other stuff diluted the caffeine. He ended up staying late at work the night before because someone or some people thought it would be funny to toilet paper trees in the park. It wouldn't have been a big deal if it was just one tree, but he and the other park rangers found several trees in different parts of the park covered.

He sipped his coffee and lamented over the fact that even if the culprits were shredded to pieces it would still be an easy punishment.

If he was honest with himself, Emmett was in a bad mood because he had to leave the Cullens' house early last night. He did not begrudge Edward anything, but hell if he couldn't help feeling a little envious that he landed someone as breathtaking as Rosalie.

His coffee cup was nearly empty and he was starting to feel human again, when he heard a knock at the door. Bella mentioned something about hanging out with Jacob. Emmett wouldn't put it passed him to show up this early. The boy was more eager than a golden retriever.

He needed to have a talk with Bella about leading him on.

Emmett put his cup on the counter and went to answer the door.

He was about to launch into a speech about how the butt crack of dawn was not a reasonable hour to visit people, when he opened the door and saw it was not Jacob, but Edward.

"Uh, hey," Emmett said.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair. "Hey."

Emmett stepped aside and Edward followed.

"Coffee?" They walked back toward the kitchen.

"No, I'm good."

Emmett poured another cup of coffee and took a sip.

"How was work?" Edward asked.

He shook his head. "Had to clean up a bunch of toilet paper."

Edward laughed. "Should I even ask?"

"I guess it's pay back for all the times we went toilet papering."

Edward said, "Sorry."

Emmett shrugged and took another sip of his coffee. Then he said, "How's Rosalie?"

"Fine." Then he remembered what she had said about Emmett. "So, what do you think of her?"

"You're a lucky bastard."

Edward let out a small laugh. "She's great."

"Great?" Emmett set his coffee mug down. "She's chocolate cake, hot fudge, and vanilla ice-cream."

Edward forgot that the Swans used food for superlative descriptions. When they were kids, Emmett had a crush on his mother Esme and said she was fresh baked chocolate chips and a glass of milk.

Edward said, "That much, huh?"

Emmett cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"No. It's alright." Edward treaded carefully. "I'd say Rosalie's more like carrot cake to me."

Emmett flinched. "Why would you say something like that?"

Edward hesitated before he said, "Maybe because Rosalie thinks I'm carrot cake too."

It took a minute for the information to sink in. Emmett's eyes lit up. "You guys broke-up?"

Edward smiled. "We actually never. . . we're just friends."

"Then why did you say she's your girlfriend?"

"I never said she was."

Emmett was going to contradict him, but he couldn't. Instead he rubbed his face and drank more coffee. After a moment, he shrugged and said, "Okay."

Edward also forgot how easy it was to placate Emmett.

"Is that what you came here for?" Emmett asked.

"No, actually, Bella. . . she said she was feeling sick last night and she had Alice bring her back."

Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "She was already asleep when I came home. I didn't check on her." He walked out the kitchen.

When they got to the foot of the stairs, Edward said, "Before you go up there, I wanted to tell Bella about Rosalie myself."

Emmett looked up at the top of the stairs and then he looked at Edward. "Alright."

Edward hesitated not realizing at first that Emmett was letting him go upstairs to see Bella. He climbed the stairs.

Emmett said, "The second door on the right is hers."

Edward stood in front of Bella's bedroom door for a few seconds before he knocked. "Bella?" There was no answer. He thought maybe she was not in her room. He opened the door and peered inside.

He looked around. Bella was never the flowers and unicorns type of girl. She had a few framed prints on her walls. There weren't any other pictures, no knick-knacks, or other typical female decorative items out. Edward stepped inside her room and propped the door half way open.

He glanced at Bella's bed and at first it looked unmade, but then he saw an arm poking out among some pillows. He became slightly alarmed when he couldn't see any other movement. He took two steps toward her bed and touched her arm. It was warm.

Edward reached over and moved the pillow that was over her head. "Bella?"

Nothing.

He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. "Bella?"

This time she flipped over and said, "Not yet, Jacob. It's still too early."

Edward stood still. _She's expecting Jacob_, he thought.

Bella's eyes fluttered open. She gave Edward a passing glance and closed her eyes again.

"Bella, it's Edward." He cleared his throat. "Not Jacob."

Bella opened her eyes again and looked at him. When she realized that it was indeed Edward and not Jacob, she sat up in her bed.

"Edward?" She pushed away the hair across her face and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"I-" Edward's eyes widened in shock when he realized that Bella didn't have any clothes on.

Bella caught the direction of where Edward was staring and looked down at herself. She saw that she was wearing only her underwear, so she snatched the covers up to hide. She looked around for her clothes, but they were laying at Edward's feet.

She swore and said, "What the hell happened?" She checked under the covers and found her bra twisted in the sheets. She let out another string of curses. "What are you doing here?" She was thankful that she at least had on a pair of her good underwear.

"Emmett said it was okay. I came to see you." His eyes roamed over her.

Bella gave him an incredulous look.

He held up his hands. "No. I mean, I wanted to make sure you were alright after last night." This time he had the common sense to avert his gaze.

"Why didn't you knock?"

"I did. You were buried under your pillows." He sounded guilty and was determined not to gawk at her, but he could not help himself and snuck a glance in her direction.

She had pulled up her bed sheet to hide, but the way Edward was staring at her made Bella had the feeling that he definitely saw something. She felt the morning light on her back and she groaned to herself, realizing her half naked body had been illuminated the entire time.

_Great,_ she thought.

Bella felt a small part of her die. With the brightness of the morning sunshine, there could be no mistake.

Edward saw every inch of her body.

"Bella?" Emmett called from downstairs. They could hear him climbing the stairs.

"Shut the door." Bella jumped off her bed and tried wrapping the sheet around her.

"But-" He made a move toward the door, but couldn't help watching Bella try to wrap herself with the bed sheet.

"Edward, shut the door!"

They both reached the door at the same time and shut it.

A few seconds later, Emmett was at the door saying, "Bella? Is everything okay?" He lowered his voice. "Is Edward still in there with you?"

"Yes. Everything's fine. Just give us a minute." She said through the door.

It was quiet for a moment before Emmett said, "Um. Jacob's here."

"With you?"

"No, downstairs."

"Tell him to stay there."

"Are you sure you don't want me to send him home?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "No, just tell him to wait."

"Alright."

Once she heard Emmett go down the stairs, she turned to look at Edward. She was startled by the fact that he was standing much closer to her than she thought. She held the sheet tighter against her body.

Edward's eyes drifted over Bella's bare arms and neck. He said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were expecting someone."

If someone had told her last week that Edward Cullen would be in her bedroom and that she would be practically naked, Bella would have died from laughing so hard.

She looked up at him and noticed his eyes were that warm amber color. "You came over just to check on me?"

"You seemed pretty upset last night."

"Well, I'm fine now." She realized that she could smell Edward. He smelled like clean laundry and something else she could not place. She stopped herself from leaning in and nuzzling the spot just above his collar bone. Instead she took a step back, but felt the door on her back. Her voice wobbled a little when she said, "What do you want, Edward?"

Bella watched as several emotions crossed Edward's face. She also noticed that his eyes had become a chocolate brown. He struggled with his words. "I came to talk to you."

"About what?"

Edward brushed off the hair on her left shoulder and let his fingertips drag against her skin while his thumb grazed the hollow of her neck. He let his hand come to rest on her shoulder.

Bella was sure her heart was going to leap out of her chest if he continued to touch her. "Edward?" She couldn't help but sigh as she said his name. She swallowed hard. "What did you want to talk about?"

"What?" He was preoccupied with the way her neck curved.

"You said you came here to talk to me."

"Yeah." He looked down at her lips.

Bella's heart thundered in her chest. "Maybe I should get dressed," she said.

"Dressed?" He stilled his hand.

"This is really awkward." She pulled the bed sheet up higher.

"If I had known that you practically sleep in the nude, I wouldn't have-"

"But it was an accident."

A corner of his mouth turned up. "How was it an accident?"

"Last night, I was too tired to change into my pajamas. And I did have my bra on, but it somehow came off."

His smile became wider.

"It's not funny." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I didn't know you had a problem keeping your clothes on," he said.

Bella licked her lips before she said, "And you seem intent on keeping my clothes off."

He had a smirk on his face. "What makes you say that?"

Bella gave him a pointed look. It took a moment for Edward to realize that he had placed his hand on the door next to Bella's head, so his arm was blocking Bella from leaving. The other hand was quite firmly gripping Bella's hip.

"Sorry." Edward loosened his grip and moved his other hand. He really had no sense when it came to a half naked Bella standing before him.

Bella was about to say something, when they heard Emmett at the door again.

"Bella? How much longer are you guys going to be?" He said through the door.

"I told you-" Bella opened the door. Jacob was in the hall with Emmett.

Emmett and Jacob both took in the scene. Bella was haphazardly wrapped in a bed sheet and Edward looked as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Oh," Emmett said.

Jacob had a pained expression. He turned and walked away.

"Jacob, wait!" Bella moved to follow him, but Emmett stopped her.

He said, "Maybe you should put some clothes on."

She looked down at herself and swore. She went back in her room.

"I'll go check on Jacob." Emmett went back downstairs.

Bella went to her bed and picked up her bra. Then she walked over to her closet and dropped the sheet. Edward turned around.

He heard her rummaging through her drawers and said, "I'm sorry, Bella."

Frustrated that she couldn't find a clean shirt, she grabbed a sweater hanging in her closet and threw it on. "For what?" Then she walked to where Edward was standing and picked up her jeans.

"For. . . I didn't know you and Jacob. . ."

By this time, Bella had pulled up her jeans and was zipping and buttoning them. She reached under her bed for a pair of flip-flops. "What are you talking about?"

Edward turned around. "I'm sorry that I walked in here when you were expecting Jacob. I hope I didn't ruin things for you guys."

Bella stood and looked at Edward. "You think I was waiting for Jacob?"

"Well, you said-"

She held up her hand. "I don't have time for this. Jacob is important to me and I don't want to hurt him." She walked out of her room and Edward followed.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Bella called out, "Jacob!"

She went into the living area and saw that Emmett was by himself watching the news.

"Where's Jacob?" She asked.

"He left."

She stood in front of the TV. "What?"

Emmett looked up at her. "Hey! I was watching that. I have to go to work soon."

"Where did he go?"

He tried looking around Bella. "I don't know."

She crossed her arms. "You just let him leave?"

"There wasn't much I could do. He was pretty upset."

Bella swore and walked to the door. "I'm going after him."

Emmett stood. "Bella."

"I know you don't like Jacob very much, but he's been a really good friend to me." Bella took her keys off the key ring.

"I never said I didn't like him."

"Whatever." She picked up her purse and walked out the door.

Edward looked at Emmett. "Are you going after her?"

Emmett shook her head. "She's pretty determined."

"Things seem pretty serious between them."

Emmett shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

"Well, they must be if she's going after him."

"I stopped trying to figure those two out a long time ago." Emmett sat back down on the couch.

Edward moved to sit next to him. "How did they meet?"

"They met back in Forks then when he and his dad moved to Seattle, Jacob's dad needed help at the bar. Charlie mentioned it, and Bella decided to help out. That was three years ago."

"Does she still help out at the bar?"

"No, but she stayed friends with Jacob."

"Is she and him-Never mind."

They sat on the couch for a moment before Emmett said, "Did you tell Bella about Rosalie?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, I didn't get a chance."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right."

He looked at Emmett. "What?"

"You guys must've been preoccupied with other things," he smirked.

"Nothing happened."

"Whatever you say."

"We just talked."

"But you didn't get a chance to tell her about Rosalie?"

Edward opened his mouth and closed it. Then he said, "I respect Bella and I wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

Emmett studied Edward's expression. Then he said, "I know."

Edward stayed for an hour more, but Bella did not come back. Then Emmett had to leave for work.

Edward drove back home, feeling a lot less hopeful than when he left home. The idea that Bella was waiting for Jacob this morning disturbed him more than he liked.

/&/

Bella pulled up in front of the Black's home which was near the bar. They lived only ten minutes away from Bella and Emmett's place. She saw Jacob's motorcycle parked in the driveway.

She got out of her car and walked up to the front of the modest house. She knocked and a few minutes later, Embry opened the door.

"Hey, Embry."

Embry smiled, but it wasn't one of his usual wide grins. "Hey, Bella."

"Is Jacob here?"

"Yeah, but-"

Bella didn't wait to be invited in. She saw Billy sitting in the kitchen.

"Hi, Billy," she said.

"Hi, Bella. How's it going?"

"Jacob is upset with me."

He looked up at her, surprised by her forwardness. "That would explain why he shut himself up in the garage then."

Embry said, "He kicked me out."

"I'm sorry." Bella walked to the back door. "I'll go talk to him."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Embry asked.

"It'll be fine." She walked out and shut the door behind her.

When she got to the garage, the door was closed, but not locked. When she opened the door, the Foo Fighter's _Best of You_ blared through the garage.

Bella found Jacob's legs sticking out from underneath the Mustang. She turned down the music and stood next to the car.

After a moment, Jacob said, "What are you doing here, Bella?"

"I came to talk to you."

"What's there to talk about?"

"Come on, Jacob. Can we talk please?"

It was another moment, before Jacob pushed himself out from underneath the car. He had on a white tank top and his jeans already had some smudge marks on them. He walked over to the tool bench to wipe his hands off on a rag.

"So, talk," he said.

Bella took a couple steps toward him. "It's not what you think."

"I don't know. It looked pretty clear what you and that guy were up to."

"That guy was Edward."

Jacob stopped wiping his hands and turned around to face Bella. "Edward Cullen?"

Bella nodded.

"Emmett's friend." It wasn't a question. It was a moment before Jacob said, "So, he's the one."

Bella shook her head. "There's nothing going on between us."

He threw the rag on the tool bench. "Right."

She lifted her chin. "There isn't."

Jacob turned back around and rearranged tools on the bench. "If I'm remembering correctly, he's the reason why you left Forks."

"I left Forks to go to school."

"The same school as him."

"He was long gone before I started going there." Bella walked to the tool bench and stood next to Jacob. "He wasn't the reason why I chose to go to UW."

"He may have not been _the_ reason, but he was a big factor." He turned to face Bella. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"

"Jacob-"

"I was here, Bella. I was here when he wasn't."

"I. . ." She turned away and leaned back on the bench. "I do care about you, Jacob."

"I know." He looked at her. "I just thought that we. . ."

She touched his arm. "I never meant to-"

He held up his hand. "I thought maybe we were making progress."

Bella withdrew her hand. "Jacob, we tried dating, but I couldn't-" She took a deep breath. "I tried, but I wasn't being fair to you."

He gave her one of his long looks. She had to look away. His expression reminded her of other times when she lost herself, forgot Edward.

She said, "That's not fair."

"Who said I had to fight fair?"

"Jacob, I can't help the way I feel. You know this. We've talked about this so many times before." She stepped away from the bench.

She had her back toward him.

He said, "There isn't the smallest possibility that-"

"I care about you." She hesitated before she said, "I do love you too."

_But just not that in that way_, she thought.

Jacob put his hand on her shoulder. "But?"

She could not bring herself to say it. She knew if she did, everything would change.

In a low voice, he said, "Bella, you can't have it both ways."

She flinched at the comment. "What are you talking about?" She turned to face him.

"In all the time I've known you, this morning was the first time Emmett let me go upstairs to your room."

"You've been in my room before."

"Yeah, but that was the first time Emmett actually approved." He crossed his arms. "How long has Edward been in town? Not even a week? And Emmett let him upstairs without a second thought."

"That's different."

"Yeah, it is. Emmett probably let me follow him upstairs just so I could see for my own eyes what was happening."

Bella did not hide the hurt expression on her face. "Emmett wouldn't do something like that."

"I'm sorry. I just. . ." He let out a deep sigh and took a step toward Bella. "The way Edward was looking at you left no doubt that something's going on between you guys."

"How many times do I have to tell you, there's nothing going on between us," she said.

Jacob looked at Bella for a minute. "But you want there to be something, right?"

Bella opened her mouth and then closed it. She couldn't deny it.

Jacob lowered his voice. "And if you're honest, if it had been me upstairs in your room this morning, you wouldn't have allowed me to stay there for as long as he did."

Bella faltered. _Was Edward really in my room for that long? _She wondered. She thought back to this morning's incident. Everything seemed to happen so fast. _Too fast._ A little voice in her mind said.

She looked down at her hands in front of her. "I don't know what to say. I do have feelings for Edward, but I don't think he has them for me. I do care about you too."

Jacob reached for her and held her. They stood like that for a moment before he said into her ear, "Is there anything I can do to convince you to give me a chance?"

Bella felt a pang in her heart. She looked up at Jacob. He was the opposite of Edward. Jacob had dark coloring and was a foot and a half taller than Edward. Edward was fit, but Jacob was not only fit, but muscular too, but in that body builder, 'roided out way. Being pressed up against Jacob's chest, Bella was reminded of the definition of his physique.

And although she had feelings for Edward, Bella was not immune to Jacob's physical presence. She was only human.

So, when Jacob dipped his head down and covered her lips with his, she allowed herself to be kissed. When his arms tightened around her, she couldn't help sliding her arms around his neck.

Jacob, encouraged by Bella's actions, became bold and deepened his kiss which took Bella completely off guard. Again, Jacob took this as a sign of encouragement. His hands slid down to her waist and he guided her toward the car and pinned her against it.

Kissing Jacob was usually like a warm summer's day. It was enjoyable and promising. It did not happen often, but when he did kiss her, Bella could not deny that he made her feel things she only thought about and she liked experiencing it.

This kiss, however, had an urgency unlike the other times. Jacob was never so bold before. She knew his feelings for her, but until now she never really understood the depth of them. She never considered the idea that Jacob felt so much passion for her.

And the more passionate he became, the more Bella realized that she could not return his feelings.

When she felt Jacob's hand sliding up her torso, Bella withdrew from him and said, "Jacob?"

He rested his forehead on hers, catching his breath. After a few seconds, he said, "Anything?"

She looked away. "I-It was nice."

He pulled his face away. "Nice? Just nice? Come on, Bella! That was fantastic."

She looked up at him and gave him an apologetic look. "For you, it was fantastic, but I don't feel that way about you, Jacob."

He slowly let her go.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He took a step back. "Well, I guess that's it then."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Bella, please don't ask me if we could still be friends."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes. When she first moved to Seattle, Jacob was her first friend.

He brushed her hair from her face with his fingers. "At least not for a while."

"I do care about you, Jacob." She hated that her voice cracked.

"I know, but I can't. . . I can't be friends with you, knowing that when you kiss Edward, you'll kiss him with a hundred times more passion than you did me."

"But you said-"

He held up his hand. "I know. It was fantastic and I'll treasure the memory, but I could also tell you didn't put your whole heart into it."

"Jacob-"

He shook his head. "Edward is a lucky son-of-a-."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you around, Bella." He turned away and got back under the car to continue working.

Bella stood there, stunned. Jacob went back to work on the car as if they just had a normal conversation. She felt like there was so much more to say, but nothing came to mind.

Instead, she turned and walked out of the garage. She drove back home and when she was back in her room, she finally allowed herself to cry and mourn the loss of a friend.

/&/

Bella could not believe she agreed to this.

After she cried for what seemed like hours, Bella tried focusing on a paper she had to write. She cleaned herself up, made a cup of coffee, and laid out all her stuff on the kitchen table. She was ready to plow into her work and after five minutes of being on her laptop, she saw that her screen was blank and her coffee was lukewarm.

She tried to get back to work when Alice called, inviting her out to dinner. "Just the girls," Alice had said.

Actually, it was quite easy to agree to go out with Alice. Between the incident with Edward in her bedroom and the kiss with Jacob, she welcomed the distraction.

What Bella didn't know at the time was that "just the girls" also included Rosalie.

She felt like she must've drowned kittens in a previous life to deserve such a fate.

They had managed to have dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Conversation was stilted and Bella kept her eyes fixed on her plate. She did not know that Alice and Rosalie both loved sushi and so they encouraged her to try some. Bella hated raw fish, so instead went with the chicken. Cooked, of course.

After they shared a bottle of saki, Bella felt a little more relaxed, but not enough to let her guard down. Alice suspected something was amiss when Edward returned home and went straight to his room that morning.

Alice thought it would be a good idea to find out what happened by going out with Bella, but she felt bad for leaving Rosalie behind with Edward who was clearly not going to be good company. Jasper had gone out to dinner with some old clients with whom he had become friends.

Alice did not think bringing Rosalie would be a bad idea, but what she failed to consider was that Edward never cleared up what kind of relationship he had with Rosalie. Rosalie picked up on this too by Bella's demeanor toward her and decided that Edward needed a good flogging at the very least.

When dinner was done, they debated about what to do next. It wasn't difficult for Bella to fake being tired, but Rosalie insisted that the evening was still young, and they should at least have one drink.

Alice said, "Come on, Bella. Just one drink."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Fine."

They ended up at an exclusive club. Bella did not think they could get in, but Rosalie managed to charm the bouncer who seemed more than happy to let them in.

They were intent on looking for a table and while they did, Rosalie went to get drinks. Bella and Alice each sat on a stool and saved one for Rosalie. After a moment, Bella looked around the club. It was dimly lit and a techno beat pulsed through the club. Bella didn't notice before, but when she took a closer look at the people in the club, it was full of men, just men.

She looked at Alice, "Um, where are all the other women?"

Alice laughed. "Probably at another club."

Bella shifted in her seat. "Are we safe here?"

"Quite." Alice smiled.

Rosalie came back with a round of drinks and set them on the table. "Alice, you sly thing."

Alice picked up her drink, some kind of fruity concoction. "What?"

Rosalie laughed and sipped her martini.

"Am I missing something?" Bella looked at Rosalie and then at Alice.

Rosalie smirked. "Alice has a funny sense of humor."

Bella waited for Rosalie to continue. But instead, Alice said, "I figured this would be the one place where we could get good drinks, some dancing, and no one would bother us."

Bella continued to look at Alice and when she didn't continue, Rosalie said, "Oh for heaven's sake, Bella. We're at a gay bar."

Her eyes widened in recognition. Then she saw the drinks Rosalie had brought back. "Wait, why do I get a shot _and_ a pint of beer?"

Rosalie said, "Sweetie, you seem like you really needed it."

Alice said, "I know we said just one drink, but both of those count as one. It's like a combination drink."

"Combination drink?" Bella said warily.

Alice shrugged. "Or you can tell us what happened today."

Bella shook her head, picked up the shot, downed it, then chased it down with a deep gulp of beer.

Alice pressed on, "Didn't Edward come visit you this morning?"

Bella cringed and sipped her beer again.

Rosalie said, "He went straight to his room when he got back."

Bella set her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands. "I don't want to talk about this."

Alice placed a hand on Bella's arm. "I was just a little worried." She cleared her throat. "Emmett mentioned that you also had another visitor too."

Bella was still hiding behind her hands, but groaned.

"Who was it?" Rosalie asked Alice.

"Jacob Black," Alice said.

"Jacob Black?" Rosalie looked at Bella and then at Alice.

Alice shrugged. "He's from Forks."

"You guys," Bella warned.

"Um. . . his dad owns Black's." Alice ignored Bella.

"Go on," Rosalie said.

"I can hear you talking." Bella dropped her hands away from her face.

"He works on cars," Alice offered.

Rosalie's eyebrows shot up. "Does he?"

Rosalie and Alice gave Bella expectant looks. After a moment, Bella said, "He likes restoring old cars."

Rosalie sat up in her seat. "Really? Is he good?"

"Yeah, he's actually very good. He restored an old Cadillac a while ago and the guy he did the work for was really impressed."

"Is he working on anything right now?"

Bella eyed Rosalie suspiciously. "A Mustang."

"What year?"

Bella shrugged. "A nineteen-sixty-something."

Rosalie was practically bouncing in her seat. "Is he-"

Alice held up her hand. "Rosalie, don't geek out on us right now."

Rosalie shot Alice a withering look, but then turned and gave Bella a wide grin.

Bella inched away from her.

Rosalie laughed. "I think you need another drink."

Bella looked down at her beer and was taken aback that she had already finished it. "But you guys said that we were only going to have one drink."

"Of course we are," Rosalie said and left to get more drinks.

"Wait," Bella looked at Alice.

Alice patted Bella on the arm. "Of course we won't."

A little over an hour later, their table was nearly covered with various glasses that were mostly emptied by Bella.

She should've been upset at Alice and Rosalie, but after dancing to ABBA's _Dancing Queen_ she really could see no reason why she should be upset. How could anyone stay mad when ABBA was playing? Then when K.C. & the Sunshine Band's _That's the Way_ came on, Bella practically stumbled off her chair to get back on the dance floor, but Rosalie and Alice stopped her.

Alice passed a water bottle to Bella, "You must be thirsty from all your dancing."

Bella took the bottle and drank in large gulps. When she was done, she set the bottle down with a loud thud and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I hated dancing at clubs because random guys would always try to rub up against you, but this is so fun! No one has tried rubbing their junk on me and they dance because they really like to dance."

Rosalie bit down her laughter.

Alice said, "So, what else happened when Edward got to your room?"

"Oh," Bella took a sip of Rosalie's martini, but handed it back when she realized it was a martini. "Where was I?"

Rosalie said, "You were asleep, but you felt someone touching your arm and calling your name."

"Right." Bella went on to tell Rosalie and Alice about how she was half naked and how Edward pinned her up against the door.

Alice sat up in her seat. "You were naked and Edward pinned you against the door?"

"No, I was wearing my bed sheet."

Rosalie said, "What else happened?"

Bella sipped her water. "Nothing. Emmett interrupted us."

Alice groaned.

Then Bella realized who she was talking to. It was bad enough she was lusting after Rosalie's boyfriend. Rosalie didn't need to know that she was caught in a compromising situation with Edward. She turned to Rosalie and said, "But it wasn't like I was-I didn't."

"It's okay, Bella," Rosalie said.

"No, I didn't-"

Rosalie cut her off. "Don't worry about it."

"More happened with Jacob than with Edward," Bella blurted out.

Rosalie and Alice both stared at Bella.

Bella shrank in her seat. "Forget I said that."

Alice slid a shot glass over to Bella. "Let's not."

Bella didn't not even bother arguing. She took the glass and downed the drink. Then she proceeded to tell them what happened in Jacob's garage.

When she was done, both Rosalie and Alice continued to stare at her, mouths wide opened.

"What?" Bella asked.

This time Rosalie took a shot. Then she said, "You've had a busy day."

Before Rosalie or Alice could ask for more details, the all too familiar base beat of _Staying Alive_ by the Bee Gees filled the club. Bella stood up so quickly that her stool fell back.

"I LOVE THIS SONG!" Bella dragged Rosalie and Alice to the dance floor effectively ending their conversation.

Rosalie and Alice had to practically drag Bella off the dance floor an hour later. Rosalie took care of their tab and they took Bella home.

When they got to Bella's house, Emmett and Edward were sitting on the couch with _ Sports Center _on the television.

Rosalie and Alice were helping Bella up the stairs when they heard Emmett say, "Sneaking in, ladies?" Edward was standing next to Emmett, watching.

Alice said, "We're just helping Bella to her room."

"Why does-"

"Em-bear!!" Bella raced down the stairs and threw her arms around Emmett.

"What the hell did you guys do to my sister?" Emmett said while trying to pry Bella's arms from around his neck.

Rosalie walked down the steps. "She may have had a few drinks."

"A few?" Emmett opened his mouth to say something else, but was taken aback by Rosalie's figure descending the stairs. "Well, as long as you guys didn't let anything happen to her."

Edward took a step forward. "Alice, you know Bella can't hold her alcohol."

Alice opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted when Bella said, "Edward's here!" She launched herself from Emmett to Edward.

Edward looked up at Alice with an admonishing look.

Alice merely shrugged and mouthed the words, "What?"

"Okay, Bella," Emmett said, "It's time to go to bed."

"No," She still had her arms firmly wrapped around Edward's neck. "I don't want to go to bed, yet." She buried her face in Edward's neck and pressed her lips on it.

Edward's eyes widened at the contact of Bella's lips on his neck. "Um," he stuttered and looked at Emmett who was shaking his head.

Emmett said, "She gets a little. . . aggressive when she's had too much to drink." Emmett looked up at Alice. "Did anything happen at the club?"

Alice shook her head. "We were at a gay club."

Emmett let out a sigh of relief. Then he turned to Bella, "Come on, Bells. I'm sure Edward has had enough."

Bella had her fingers in Edward's hair and another gripping one of the belt loops of his jeans. She pressed herself against him. "No, I want to stay with Edward."

"Um," Edward swallowed hard. He looked up to see Alice staring at them and Rosalie with a hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter. Emmett rubbed the back of his neck. He looked more embarrassed than angry. When Edward felt Bella's fingers unhook from his belt loop and her hand slide up under the hem of his t-shirt, Edward willed his eyes not to cross when she dragged her hand on the side of his torso.

He had to get Bella to fall asleep. Not that he didn't enjoy Bella's attention, but she was clearly not in her right state of mind. If anything were to happen between them, Edward wanted her sober and very aware of what was happening.

Edward bent down and whispered something in her ear. In less than a second, Bella pulled away with a wide grin on her face.

She said, "Okay." She ran up the stairs, pushing Rosalie and Alice out of her way.

Edward followed Bella up the stairs.

When Edward reached the top of the stairs, Emmett said, "What did you say to her?"

Over his shoulder, Edward said, "I told her I'd tuck her in."

Alice and Rosalie climbed down the rest of the stairs and joined Emmett in the kitchen for some coffee.

While they waited in the kitchen for Edward, Rosalie asked Emmett about work. Emmett was happy to comply and talked about their latest efforts in trying to catch the toilet papering bandits.

"Does toilet papering happen that often?" Rosalie asked.

"No, but I think the culprits are determined to have their work displayed," Emmett had a small smile on his lips before he said, "But we keep taking down all of it before anyone gets to see it."

"So who-ever it is, is even more determined than before to toilet paper the park," Rosalie said.

Emmett started talking about the possibility of having stake-outs, but he stopped abruptly and said, "You don't want to hear about that."

Rosalie sat up in her seat. "Sure, I do."

Emmett gave her a wary look. Then he said, "That's okay. You don't have to pretend."

She placed a hand on his arm. "I'm not pretending. I enjoy listening to you talk."

Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "So, I could talk about anything, and you'll listen?"

She smiled and nodded.

He thought for a minute and said, "Well, today I took out the trash."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh."

"And then I hosed down the patio furniture."

Rosalie giggled. "That sounds exciting."

He shook his head. "If you think that's exciting, wait until you hear this." He leaned in and lowered his voice, "I also unloaded the dishwasher _and _put in the dirty dishes from this morning."

"You are a man of adventure and intrigue." Rosalie laughed.

Emmett feigned a hurt expression. "Now you're making fun of me."

"No," she rubbed his arm. "I like men who know their way around the house. It means I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff."

Emmett's head tipped back and he laughed.

During the whole conversation, Alice watched Emmett and Rosalie. She was stunned at how well they seemed to get along even though they did not seem like each other's type at all. Alice knew her well enough to know that Rosalie was not holding back on the charm.

As if finally noticing Alice's presence, Rosalie looked at her. She saw Alice's look of amazement and misinterpreted for a look of admonishment. Rosalie straightened up in her seat away from Emmett.

Realizing that Edward had not come back downstairs, Emmett said, "I should've put Bella in bed."

Alice said, "I'm sure he'll be down any minute. Bella was. . . quite a handful."

Emmett took a sip of his coffee and then said, "Better him than me. She gets really sentimental with me."

"What? You don't like the name Em-bear?" Rosalie teased.

Emmett winced at the endearment Bella had given him when she was nine years old.

Alice giggled.

Before they could further explore this topic, Edward entered the kitchen. His hair was tousled and his t-shirt was wrinkled. He had an expression of a man who had just been tested to his limits.

Alice raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak, but Edward held up his hand.

"I'm going home," Edward said.

Alice said, "But what happened?"

Rosalie said, "What took you so long?"

Edward was already walking toward the front door. They all got up to follow him. He grabbed his coat off the banister.

Emmett said, "I'm sorry, Edward. I should've put Bella in bed."

He shook his head and put his coat on. "It's alright." Edward said goodnight and was out the door.

Alice went after him. "Edward, wait!"

Rosalie turned to Emmett. "Thank you for the coffee."

Emmett smiled. "It was my pleasure."

They stood in the hall for a minute before they heard Alice calling for Rosalie from outside.

"Goodnight, Emmett." Rosalie walked out the front door.

Emmett stood in the doorway. "Night." He watched Rosalie get into Alice's car and once she was in, Alice sped away.

He shut the door and turned off the porch light then climbed the stairs to his room. When he reached his bedroom door, he glanced at Bella's door which was shut. He thought about checking on her, but decided against it. He was certain that Edward made sure Bella would be alright.

Emmett went in his room and sat on his bed. He scrubbed his face with his hands and ran one of them through his hair. It had been a long night, but it ended pleasantly. He changed and got into bed, dreaming about having many more conversations with Rosalie.


	5. Chapter 5: Pictures

A/N: Wow. Out of all the things that happened in the last chapter, I never expected that so many people would be interested in what exactly happened to Edward when he tucked Bella in. I had not planned on going into details, but when I wrote this chapter (weeks ago), a certain character could not help dwelling on it and so it could not be ignored. I hope it lives up to all your expectations.

Special thanks to my betas: spotzle (_A Matter of Convenience_) and vjgm (her story _Boycotts & Barflies_ is over at Twlighted) for going over this chapter. They both really helped to make this chapter awesome. Both of their stories are AH.

And thanks to everyone from lj and Twilighted for leaving such great reviews. It's overwhelming, but I appreciate all the kind words.

I'm posting this chapter early in anticipation of everyone disappearing to read BD. I'll be on vacation next week, so chapter 6 might be delayed in posting.

And one last note: It's another long chapter again at just a little over 10,000 words. Sorry!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 5 "Pictures"**

_And if you go, if you go_

_And leave me down here on my own_

_Then I'll wait for you_

_Yeah_

_And yeah_

_How long must you wait for it? _

-"In My Place" by Coldplay

Mozart's _Piano Concerto Number 21_ was a balm that helped soothe the throbbing ache in her temples. She was never going to drink that much again. Alice and Rosalie had a talent of making you forget your resolve. She kicked herself for falling under their power of persuasion. When they showed up at her house bright and ready for the bridesmaid fitting this morning, she wanted to tear them to pieces. It wasn't fair that only she felt the repercussions of having so much to drink. It was if they were not human.

Bella felt her muscles relax when the gentle tinkling of the piano melody floated throughout the bridal boutique. She couldn't really stay mad at them for very long because Alice had made sure to bring one of her favorite breakfasts: fresh berries, yogurt, granola accompanied with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Even Rosalie tried to make amends by picking out some clothes for her to wear for the fitting while she showered, but when Bella returned, Rosalie had said that she was in serious need of a shopping trip.

Bella closed her eyes and concentrated on the music playing. The piece was now entering its second movement and Bella felt herself being carried away by the crescendo of the violins and piano.

She would never, ever admit this to anyone, but in high school, when she went to watch Emmett play football and consequently Edward, Bella would listen to a classical music mix primarily of Mozart and Beethoven on her iPod while they played.

Football was a gruesome contact sport, but to Bella, the music seemed to make it an awful, but beautiful mess to watch especially when Edward played. He was agile, strong, yet careful.

Bella felt her self become warm at the memories of Edward in such a primal form. It made her wonder if Edward would've been just as agile, strong, yet careful yesterday when he had her pinned against her bedroom door when all she was wearing was a bed sheet.

"Ah! I think your bridesmaid is finally starting to feel better." The seamstress pulled and tugged at the dress Bella was wearing.

"Is she?" Alice climbed a step on the fitting room platform where Bella stood.

"She has a nice glow on her face. Perhaps she's thinking about her wedding day and the possible groom?" The seamstress winked as she took in the bodice.

Bella stopped her eyes from rolling. "No, the music is very relaxing."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Really? I could've sworn you were blushing."

This time Bella did roll her eyes.

Alice continued, "I've never known anyone to blush while listening to Mozart's music."

Bella shrugged.

Alice listened to the piece more closely. "This piece actually sounds familiar."

"Does it?" Bella hadn't really heard Alice's comment because she was looking at her reflection in the mirrors. She cringed inwardly. _Ack! _She thought. _Of course, Rosalie is not going to have a problem filling up the bodice._

"Yeah," Alice placed a finger on her chin. "I think Edward played this once in a concert."

Bella realized Alice was right and studiously examined the hem of her dress.

Rosalie was flipping through a magazine. "Edward plays the piano?"

"Since he was really young." Alice looked at Bella's reflection in the mirror.

"How come he doesn't play anymore?" Rosalie asked.

Alice shrugged. "He stopped playing his senior year in high school."

Bella remembered the last time she heard him play. It was back in Forks and it was around the time Edward had started to become distant. Bella had been waiting for Alice at the old Cullen residence and she heard Edward practicing. It wasn't something out of the ordinary for her to listen while Edward played, but he was playing something that she had never heard before.

When Edward finally noticed her presence, he stopped playing and Bella took it as an invitation to sit with him. She had done it countless times, but things between them at the time were so strained, she was hoping that Edward was starting to be his old self again.

"What are you playing?" She asked.

Edward hesitated before he said, "Nothing. Just something that I made up."

Bella's eyebrows shot up. "You wrote that yourself?"

He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"It's lovely." She never used that word before in her life, but she couldn't think of any other word to describe the melody he played.

He looked up at her. "You liked it?"

She nodded. "Will you play it again?"

He hesitated again. "I don't know."

Bella felt the wall being thrown up again. Her brow wrinkled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your practice. I enjoy listening to you play. I'll just wait for Alice in her room." She made a movement to get up, but he held her wrist.

"No, wait." Bella sat down. He studied her for a moment before he said, "Did you really like it?"

She gave him a warm smile. "Of course I did, Edward. You know I'd never lie to you."

He turned to face her and inched closer to her. "Then if I asked you something. . . would you tell me the truth?"

Bella knew that Edward could be insecure about certain things. It didn't happen often, but when it did, Edward only showed that side of him to a select few people.

She had been one of those people which for some reason sent a ridiculous thrill through her.

Bella placed a hand on his arm. "There's nothing to worry about, Edward."

An expression crossed his face that Bella did not recognize. "How did you-"

She squeezed his arm. "That piece was really beautiful."

Edward blinked a few times.

"I really enjoyed listening to it. I hope you'll play it again."

Edward's shoulders sagged. He let go of her wrist.

"What's wrong?"

He looked at Bella, concern written on her face. That's all it was.

"You're not-" He looked away from her. "It's not ready. The piece isn't ready. I'll play it for you another time."

Before she could say anything else, Alice had come home and Edward excused himself.

"Bella, are you alright?"

Bella snapped out of the memory and saw that Alice was studying her face. She blinked several times and looked away. "Yes, I think she stuck a pin in my back."

"She finished a while ago." Alice was still eyeing her critically. "You can go take off the dress now."

"Oh." Bella turned to go change, but Alice put a hand on her arm.

She said, "Bella, one minute you're blushing and the next minute you look like you need a hug. Did something happen last night?"

Bella smoothed down her dress. "What are you talking about?"

"When Edward helped you to your room?"

Bella stopped fidgeting with her dress and thought about it for a minute. "No."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "He was in your room with you for a while and the look on his face when he came back downstairs. . ."

Bella's eyes widened. "What did he say happened?"

Alice shrugged. "He didn't say anything. He refused to tell me."

Bella closed her eyes.

"What happened, Bella?"

She opened her eyes and saw that Alice looked at her with genuine concern.

Bella hesitated, "Nothing." Alice opened her mouth, but Bella continued, "I swear. All I remember was going to bed. Then Edward came later. . ." Bella looked up at the ceiling. "Then. . . I think we talked, but I don't remember what about and. . . he tucked me in like he said he would."

Rosalie heard them talking and came over to stand behind Alice. Rosalie said, "Well, it must've been some conversation because when he came back downstairs, he looked like he had been harassed." She had a small smile on her lips. "In a good way."

"Rosalie!" Alice said.

Bella was alarmed. "But nothing happened!" _Oh, no!_ She thought. _Did something happen? _ Bella said, "I don't remember anything."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Okay, whatever. Can I try on my dress now?"

"But-" Bella tried to explain, but Rosalie was already in the fitting room.

She looked at Alice and in a lowered voice said, "Is she upset?"

Alice shook her head. "No, not at all." _Probably just bored because she wanted to hear all the details,_ Alice thought.

Bella went to change out of her dress. When she was done, one of the assistants took it and Bella sat on the plush sofa that Rosalie had been occupying. There were bridal magazines strewn everywhere and it was the last thing that Bella wanted to read at the moment.

Rosalie came out and of course she was gorgeous. Her dress was slightly different from Bella's because she was the maid of honor. Bella's dress was a strapless gown with an A-line silhouette. Alice decided on a sage color for the dresses.

Rosalie's was also the same style. Bella's skirt hit right at her ankles, but Rosalie's came down just below her knees. Rosalie had a displeased expression on her face.

"The skirt is too long." Rosalie had her hands on her hips.

The seamstress said, "We could take it an inch higher."

"How about two inches?"

"Two inches and everyone will be focused on you," Alice said.

Rosalie smiled. "Of course not!"

They went back and forth like this for half a minute before Bella tuned out the rest. She couldn't believe that Rosalie was fighting Alice about the skirt length. It was Alice's wedding for goodness sake!

She quickly pushed down the resentment that was starting to rise. Bella knew where those thoughts would lead and she did not want any awkward feelings between her and Edward's girlfriend. Things were awkward enough especially with the previous morning's incident in her room and the questionable things that might have happened last night too.

Bella laid her head back on the couch. She figured Rosalie hated her for being in such compromising situations with her boyfriend. It wasn't her fault. She was minding her own business and then Edward came back after being gone for so long, complicating things. If anything, this was his fault. Why would he put himself in these types of situations with her if he already had a girlfriend?

She decided right then that she had to distance herself from Edward. It was the only way she could protect herself. Bella knew if she ended up in anymore compromising situations with Edward, she'd be the one to get hurt. It would be her fault because she would get her hopes up and it would be all for nothing.

She did not get to lament any longer on the topic when she heard her phone go off. Bella pulled out her phone, but it wasn't her phone ringing. She heard the sound coming from Rosalie's designer purse.

"Rosalie, I think your phone is ringing."

"Can you get it for me?" Rosalie was still negotiating her skirt length.

Bella searched Rosalie's purse and found her phone in the outside pocket. Bella looked at Rosalie's Blackberry. "I think you have a text message," Bella said.

"Oh, will you read it to me? I'm expecting to hear from a potential client today."

"Okay." Bella went into the message menu and saw the message was from Edward. "Um, it's actually from Edward."

"Oh." Rosalie's tone was not too thrilled. Bella thought she must be really mad at her. "Can you check what he wants?"

"Um, but-"

"He's probably going to ask us to bring home some food," Alice said.

Bella could not help letting out a small laugh. She went ahead and opened the message and read it aloud.

_Alice isn't answering. How much longer are you guys going to be?_

Alice let out a frustrated sigh, "I told him I didn't want to be interrupted during this. That's why my phone is off."

Rosalie muttered something derogatory about guys not understanding these kinds of things.

Bella said, "Um, do you want to text him back?"

Alice said, "Tell him it'll take as long as it takes."

Bella sent the text back to Edward.

Less than a minute later, he sent back a text. Bella read it aloud.

_Will be it another hour? Two hours? How long?_

Alice and Rosalie turned to Bella with frustrated looks. If Edward was standing right here, Bella was sure they would've ripped his arms off. Bella held up her hand and said, "I'll take care of this."

She sent him the following message:

_Edward, this is Bella. Unless you want to be ripped limb from limb, I suggest you stop asking how long this is going to take._

Not ten seconds later, Edward responded.

_Is this really Bella?_

She replied with a yes.

This time it took half a minute for him to respond.

_What are you doing on Rosalie's phone?_

Bella sighed and then typed out the following:

_Rosalie is trying on her dress right now and she asked me to check her phone. She thought you might be a client._

A minute had gone by and Bella thought he was appeased. She was about to put Rosalie's phone back in her purse when the phone rang. Bella checked the caller ID and saw that it was Edward calling.

She almost dropped the phone.

"Who's calling?" Rosalie asked.

Bella swallowed hard. "It's Edward." She got up to pass the phone to her.

Rosalie said, "Well, answer it! I'm busy right now."

Bella cringed and then answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Bella?" Edward asked.

"Yeah."

It was a moment before he said, "I thought you'd be trying on your dress."

"I did and now it's Rosalie's turn."

"I see." He cleared his throat. "Is Alice there?"

"Um, yeah. Did you want to talk to her?"

"No, it's okay. I just couldn't get her on her phone."

"She turned it off."

"Oh." He hesitated before he said, "Well, I'll let you get back to. . . whatever you guys were doing," he said in a rush.

"Is there something you needed?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Your messages seemed pretty urgent."

It was quiet for a while.

"Edward? Are you still there?"

"You saw all the messages?"

"Yeah, Alice told me what to text you."

The line was silent.

Bella continued, "Alice thought that maybe you wanted her to bring something home for lunch."

"No, I'm fine."

After a few seconds, Bella said, "Um, I wanted to ask you something." She looked up to see that she had a captive audience in Rosalie, Alice, and the seamstress. "Just a second." She looked at Edward's number and programmed it into her phone. "Let me call you back on my phone."

"Okay."

She hung up and put Rosalie's phone back in her purse. "I'm just going to be outside while you guys finish up."

"We won't be much longer," Alice said.

Bella walked out the front door. There was a small park across the street and a bench that she spotted right away. She crossed and sat on the bench, making sure Rosalie and Alice would be able to see her if they came out before she was done talking.

She hesitated before she called Edward. He picked up on the second ring.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"What happened?" He asked.

"Our conversation was being monitored."

He let out a small laugh. "How about now?"

"I'm not in the boutique anymore. I'm at a park across from it."

"What was it that you wanted to ask me that you couldn't ask in front of Rosalie and Alice?"

Bella licked her lips. "I think maybe I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"Last night."

She heard the hesitation in his voice. "Why do you have to apologize?"

"I don't remember what happened, but Alice said that you seemed . . . maybe a little upset when you left."

"I wasn't upset, Bella."

"Did anything happen?"

She heard a sharp intake of breath. "No."

"Edward, come on."

"Don't worry about it. You had a lot to drink."

Bella became alarmed. "Tell me what happened." She lowered her voice. "Did I do anything embarrassing?"

"I wouldn't say it was embarrassing."

"Wait, then something did happen?"

This time Edward laughed.

Bella rested her forehead in one hand while the other still held the phone. _Crap,_ she thought. "Was I . . . did I . . . harass you?"

Edward laughed again.

Bella winced. The last time she drank this much was after her college graduation. She had given Mike Newton a kiss _on the cheek_ and he never let up on her since. She avoided him like the plague.

Bella let out a long, tortured sigh. "How bad was I?"

"Not too bad."

Bella stood up and paced back and forth in front of the bench. "Not too bad?" She swore. "Define not too bad."

"It really wasn't that bad."

"If it wasn't that bad, then why won't you tell me?"

"I don't want you to freak out about it."

"I'm not freaking out."

"Bella."

"Edward, if you don't tell me, I'm going to feel really weird about this and I won't be able to face you."

"Don't feel that way."

"How can I not? I've obviously molested you in some way. I'm an awful person."

He laughed. "No, you're not." After a moment, he said, "When I came to your room, you were ready for bed."

"Okay."

"So, I helped you into bed, but. . . you didn't want me to leave right away, so I laid down with you until you fell asleep."

"And?" She asked.

"That was it."

"Really?"

"Yes."

After a moment she said, "Well, why didn't you just say so!"

"I didn't think it was a big deal."

This time Bella sighed with relief. "Thank you."

After a moment, Edward said, "So, when will you guys be finished?"

Bella laughed. "I think we're almost done. They were negotiating Rosalie's skirt length."

"Oh." He sounded defeated.

"Afterward, we're going back to my place, so I can pick up some of my stuff before we get back to your house."

"Oh." This oh had a note of optimism.

"I'm going to head back and see if they're any closer to finishing. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah."

They said their goodbyes and Bella went back to the bridal boutique.

Edward hung up his phone and went back to program Bella's name with her number. He couldn't help smiling that he had her number even though he got it inadvertently through her phone call. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get a chance to use it, but he realized that she'd be staying at their house for a week, so it didn't matter.

He sat on one of the Adirondack chairs on the back porch patio of his parents' house. He gave Bella the G rated version of what happened last night. He wasn't lying because that was essentially what happened.

What Edward left out was how difficult Bella made it for him to leave. He had no idea that she was capable of such physical, passionate displays of affection.

It was true that he helped her into bed, but she was quite determined that Edward join her. She had been on the bed, kneeling toward him. She took his hand in hers and asked him to come to bed with her.

He nearly took her right then and there.

Instead, he gently had her sit down and then he sat next to her. He said, "Bella, I'm here to tuck you in, so you can fall asleep."

Bella leaned closer and whispered, "But I don't want to sleep now." Then she placed a soft kiss right below his ear.

"Bella." He reached for her face, so he could look at her. "You've had a lot to drink. You must be tired."

"No, I'm not." She leaned into his hand and put her hand over his. Then she kissed his palm and then his wrist. "See?" Then she started rubbing her thumb across his knuckles.

He was taken aback at how bold she was being and a part of him hoped that it was because she felt this way for him. Before he knew what was happening, she had climbed onto his lap and straddled him. She kissed him again below his ear. Her breath was uneven. "I'd like you to stay." Then she proceeded to lay soft kisses down his neck.

Edward kept his hands off of her, but when he felt her mouth on his neck, his hands had a mind of their own. He placed one hand on her hip, steadying her, the other behind her neck. Then he flipped her on her back.

"Bella. We can't-" He looked down at her. Edward never thought he'd ever get to see Bella from this angle. Her hair was splayed around her and she looked up at him with such wanting.

"Edward," She wrapped one leg around one of his and bent her knee, bringing him closer to her. Then Bella fisted his hair in her hand, tilting his head to give her better access to his neck and gave him an open mouth kiss on his collar bone. She repeated the kiss, but this time he felt the tip of her tongue on his skin.

"Christ, Bella." He barely managed to get the words out.

Her other hand was in a frenzy to make its way back under his shirt to return to the planes of his back. He willed his eyes to stay open when he felt the warmth from the palm of her hand pressed against his back, exploring his torso. Then her fingers grazed the skin just beneath the top of his jeans. Edward's eyes widened at the realization of Bella's goal when she struggled to get past the waist of his jeans. Before he could redirect Bella's wayward hand, she gave up trying to get in his pants, and pulled her hand away.

While she searched for a new destination, she brought his head closer to her mouth and nipped at his earlobe.

Her other hand settled for a firm purchase on his hip, causing his hips to crash down to meet hers. Edward opened his mouth to say something, but instead a low groan escaped when he felt Bella move her hips against his. Then she lifted his head away from her to trace a line with her lips and the tip of her tongue from his collarbone onto the line of his jaw.

She stopped at his mouth and talked onto his lips. "Why aren't you touching me back? Don't you want me?"

He could taste the alcohol on her lips. She'd had a lot to drink. Their breathing was ragged and it took a minute for Edward to calm himself. It was difficult, but Edward managed to disentangle himself from her. He lay next to her and brought her to him with her head resting on his chest.

Edward wrapped his arms around her and lightly smoothed down her hair. "You're extraordinary."

"But you don't want me."

"Not like this." He lifted his head to look down at her. "I don't know if you'll ever know how difficult it was to refuse you."

"But you did."

He lifted her chin, so she was looking at him. He said, "If I cared about you any less, then I wouldn't have refused."

This seemed to put Bella at ease and she was asleep in no time. Once he made sure that she was deeply asleep, he unwrapped her arm around him and climbed out of her bed so as not to disturb her.

When he returned home, he took a very long, and very cold shower.

He sat back on the patio chair. It was late afternoon and by evening Bella would be coming to stay for a week. He was a little disappointed that she didn't remember what happened last night. He realized that it probably was a good thing that she didn't because if she felt like it was a mistake, she probably would not have forgiven him for letting it get so far.

Edward had always wondered what it would be like if Bella ever felt anything for him and if last night was just a sampling of the possibilities, he was even more motivated to find out what could be.

/&/

After the fittings, Alice and Rosalie brought Bella back to her place to pick up stuff for her stay at the Cullens. Bella realized that she should've packed beforehand. Alice was systematically going through her things, approving and disapproving of what she was bringing while Rosalie examined personal items in her room.

Rosalie pointed at a print on the wall opposite her bed. "What's this a picture of?"

Bella had been putting in a few shirts in her bag while Alice took them out. "Um, it's back in Forks." Bella took back the shirts from Alice.

Alice walked over to the print and examined it. At first glance, it looked like the typical woods that were so common in Forks. But upon closer inspection, Alice saw goal posts sticking up among the trees.

"Is this near the football field?" Alice asked.

It was a second before Bella said, "Yeah."

Alice looked at Bella and then walked over to the two other prints near the door.

"We should get going." Bella sounded agitated.

"Hold on." Alice inspected the second print. She recognized that it was the interior of the school auditorium. She thought it was strange that Bella should have such a picture, but then Alice saw that there was a grand piano on the stage. Alice was quick to look at the third picture and it took a minute before Alice realized what she saw.

Alice turned around to look at Bella.

Rosalie said, "Why do you have a picture of a school auditorium? And is that an empty field?"

Bella shifted in her spot under Alice's penetrating gaze. In response to Rosalie's second question, Alice said, "No, it's a meadow."

Rosalie turned to look at Alice and then at Bella who were both caught in a staring match. Rosalie waited for either Bella or Alice to speak. When neither made an attempt, Rosalie said, "What's going on you guys?"

Alice looked at Rosalie. "Nothing." She smiled. "Will you give us a minute?"

Rosalie was about to protest when they heard the jingle of keys at the front door.

"That's Emmett," Bella said.

Rosalie's eyes brightened. She adjusted her top and said, "I'll go keep him company." She was quick to leave the room.

Bella was taken aback by Rosalie's behavior. She was about to comment on how Edward would probably not appreciate his girlfriend flirting with her brother, when Alice said, "Bella, I'm sorry."

Alice's comment put Bella on her guard. "There's nothing to apologize for."

Alice walked over to Bella and wrapped her arms around her. "I had no idea."

"Alice, please don't," Bella felt her throat closing up.

She let go of Bella and looked at her. "I mean, I had an idea, but I didn't realize how much-"

"Don't." Bella looked away not wanting Alice to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Okay." She held up her hands. After a moment, she said, "You really are your father's daughter."

Bella had been fidgeting with her hands, but looked up at Alice's comment. "What?"

"Emmett is so easy to read. He wears his thoughts and feelings on his sleeve, but you. . ." She gave Bella a good natured smile. "It's like you have this protective wall that shields your feelings or something."

Bella let out a small laugh. After a moment, Bella said, "Please, don't say anything."

Alice said, "Bella-"

"Please, Alice. I know that Edward-"

"Edward, what?"

Bella crossed her arms. "I know he doesn't feel that way about me." Alice opened her mouth, but Bella raised her hand. "And he's with someone else."

Alice let out a frustrated sigh and looked up the ceiling. She muttered, "I'm going to kill Edward."

"What?"

"Nothing." Alice lightly pinched the bridge of her nose. Then she walked over to Bella's bag and checked what was in there. She shook her head and started pulling out stuff.

"What are you doing?" Bella picked up the clothes that Alice was taking out.

"We need to pick up a few things before we get back to my house." She pulled out an old t-shirt. Bella snatched it before Alice could look at it.

"That stays." Bella's tone was final.

Alice was about to ask, but figured Bella wasn't going to explain, so she just shrugged instead.

Bella looked in her bag. "My bag's practically empty!"

Alice grinned. "I know."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Alice! What the hell am I going to wear?"

A corner of Alice's mouth turned up. "Don't worry. I didn't plan on having you traipse around the house half clothed."

"Alice."

"We'll just stop by the mall real quick to pick up some necessities."

"No," Bella groaned.

"It'll be quick and painless."

"What will be quick and painless?" Rosalie had entered the room followed by Emmett.

"We're going shopping before we go back to my place." Alice had a triumphant smile on her face.

For the second time, Rosalie's eyes lit up. "Shopping?"

"Why do you guys need to go shopping? Bella has a closet full of clothes already," Emmett said.

He received incredulous looks from Rosalie and Alice.

"What?" He asked.

Bella closed her eyes and rested her forehead in her hand.

Then Rosalie said, "Oh, but I invited Emmett over to the house for dinner."

Alice smiled. "That's okay. I'm sure he'd like to spend time with his sister before he leaves for his trip."

Emmett coughed and shifted in his spot. Then he said, "I'm going to go shower and change."

When Emmett was gone, Bella said, "You invited Emmett over for dinner?" Bella looked at Rosalie.

She rolled her shoulders back. "I just thought-"

"No, you didn't." Bella took a step toward her. "Emmett's not the smartest guy, but he's got a big heart. And so help me if you-"

Alice stepped forward. "Bella."

"You already have Edward. How can you do this?" Bella felt Alice's hand on her arm and she unclenched her first.

Rosalie's mouth had fallen open, but she was quick to close it. After a moment, she said, "I would never hurt Emmett."

Bella narrowed her eyes at Rosalie. "Don't you mean Edward?"

Alice said, "Bella, there's something you should know."

Rosalie asked, "Edward hasn't said anything to you?"

She looked at Rosalie and then at Alice. "Said what?"

Rosalie let out a frustrated sigh. "He said he would talk to you. He said he'd explain-"

Alice interrupted, "If he wants to talk to her, then we shouldn't-"

Rosalie stood in front of Bella and put her hands on her shoulders. "I'm not as awful as you think. I would never hurt Emmett or Edward. I do care about Edward, but. . ." She looked at Alice for help.

Bella turned to look at Alice.

Alice said, "Edward really needs to tell you the rest."

Bella said, "What is there to talk about?" Things were pretty cut and dry to her. Edward had a girlfriend and it wasn't her.

Alice and Rosalie exchanged looks of uncertainty.

Bella said, "Oh, come on! Tell me."

Alice said, "It's not our place to say."

There was a tense silence. Bella gave them each a questioning look, but neither one of them was going to talk. She looked away from them and her eyes strayed to the print of the meadow. Her features softened.

The frustration she felt was subsiding, but in its place was a gnawing annoyance at having to defer to them. She wasn't a child anymore and she wished they'd just be honest with her.

She was doing fine on her own. She only had Emmett and Charlie to deal with and that in itself was a skill that Bella learned to hone over the years. Sometimes they could be overbearing. Who was she kidding? If you looked up overbearing in the dictionary, there would be smiling pictures of Emmett and Charlie in there.

She knew part of the reason why they were so protective was because when Renee and Charlie divorced, Bella took it pretty hard. She couldn't think about that period in her life without sadness.

And when Edward took himself out from her life, she felt like she was taken back to her eight year old self, wondering what she had done wrong. She thought she handled it better, but Emmett knew she was hurt. Instead of letting her fall into despair, Emmett did what an older brother would do in these times.

He annoyed the hell out of her.

Looking back, Bella realized that it was just his way and she knew he didn't want to see her so sad. So, he would do everything he could to get a reaction from her. It was easier when they moved to Seattle. Forks seemed to have constant reminders of Edward.

And now, everything was a rollercoaster. She had moved on with her life. Although she had relied on Emmett when they first came to Seattle, Bella felt like she created a life for herself. However, since Edward's return, the life that she so carefully put together was being shaken up. She was accustomed to only answering to herself. Well, and Emmett too, but the demands on her attention from Edward, Alice, and even Rosalie proved to be more demanding each day.

She figured once the wedding was over, her life would return to some semblance of normality and order. Bella turned her eye away from the print of the meadow. She didn't like her feelings being pulled in so many directions, but Bella also wasn't sure if she'd be able to go back to the solitary life that she had created for herself.

Alice hesitated before she said, "I know you're upset right now, but trust me when I say that things aren't as bad as they seem."

Before Bella could say anything else, Emmett showed up at the door. He rubbed the palms of his hands together while he said, "So, ladies, what's on the menu tonight? I could eat a bear."

Bella practically ran him over and threw her arms around him.

"Bell? What's wrong?" He looked at Rosalie and then at Alice. "What the hell did you guys do to her now?"

Alice stepped forward. "She thinks shopping is a form of torture."

Emmett awkwardly patted Bella on the back. "Uh, it'll be alright. It's what girls do."

It was a minute before Bella let Emmett go. She sniffed before she said, "But I'm not like other girls."

He smiled. "No, you're better."

In a small voice, she said, "Please let me stay home. I don't want to leave." She felt like she was eight years old again and hated herself for it. She wanted to put her foot down and tell everyone to leave her alone, but she didn't have the courage.

Everyone offered words of comfort at the same time. But Emmett held up his hand. He said, "Come on, Bell. You're acting like it's your first sleep over."

"Emmett." A tear escaped down her cheek.

He held her face and wiped the tear away with the rough pad of his thumb. "Bella, it'll be okay. Edward will be there. He always watches out for you."

At this Bella burst into tears.

Emmett looked at Rosalie and then at Alice with a look of panic.

Alice took Bella in her arms. "Emmett, go ahead and take Rosalie back to my place. Let my parents know we'll be late for dinner." She patted Bella on the back. "I'll take care of her."

Emmett did not hide his relief. He was out the door before Alice could change her mind, but Rosalie lingered. She opened her mouth to say something, but Alice shook her head.

When Alice heard the front door shut, she took Bella by the shoulders and pulled her away to look at her. Then she said, "You're going to get cleaned up and then we're going shopping."

"Alice," Bella sobbed.

"It's either that or you get cleaned up and we go back to my place."

Bella wiped the tears from her face and tried to regulate her breathing. "I'd rather just stay here."

"You know that's not an option."

"Well, I don't like those choices."

Alice sighed. "Now you're just being petulant."

Bella wiped away more tears before she crossed her arms. "I guess we'll go shopping. I don't think I can go to your house right now."

She went into her bathroom and washed her face. When she looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes were red and swollen. She groaned.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked.

"I look like a zombie."

Alice walked into the bathroom. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll visit a salon while we're at the mall. They can give you a cucumber cooling pack to help with the swelling."

"No. No salon trips."

"Come on." She led Bella by the hand out of the bathroom. They stopped in her room to get her bag and left for the mall.

When they got there, they stopped at a salon. Bella hung out near the door in case she needed to make a quick getaway. Alice talked to the receptionist and in a few minutes, the receptionist escorted Bella to a changing room.

"Why do I have to put a robe on?" She asked.

"Don't worry. They'll take good care of you," Alice said.

Bella blinked several times. "Wait, you're leaving?"

Alice gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm just going to pick out a few things for you. I'll be back when they're finished."

"What do you mean 'when they're finished'?" Bella looked like a caged animal. "What are they going to do?"

"Just one of those cooling packs for your eyes and then they're going to clean-up your split ends."

"Alice."

"You'll love it."

"But," Bella said, "You don't know my size."

Alice gave her a look of disbelief. "Please."

"But, you won't know what I'll like."

"Oh, I know what you like, Bella. That's why it's good that you won't be with me."

"Alice! I won't wear it if I don't like it."

She patted Bella on the arm much like a mother does to a whining child. "Oh, you'll like it. Don't worry." Then Alice disappeared out the door.

The receptionist gave her a professional smile and gestured toward the changing room. Bella had no choice. She went in, changed out of her clothes, and put on the robe they provided. When she emerged out of the changing room, the receptionist escorted her to a salon chair.

Salon trips weren't her thing and she couldn't help being upset for letting Alice talk her into it. But, if she was honest with herself, Bella was more annoyed at the fact that she lost the courage to stand up for herself again.

A hairdresser and an assistant came over to talk about her hair. Bella hated that they talked about her as if she weren't there.

She said, "It's just supposed to be a trim."

The hairdresser smiled at her and placed one of his hands on her shoulder. "Sweetie, of course."

She rolled her eyes. Alice obviously told them how to deal with her. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. When she felt slightly relaxed, she realized that she'd rather be here instead of at the Cullens' house. She was really not looking forward to going back there.

The assistant helped her out of the chair and into one of the shampoo and wash stations. Bella tipped her head back and the assistant turned on a nozzle, gently wetting her hair down. Once it was wet thoroughly, he shut the nozzle off and proceeded to massage shampoo into her hair.

"Wow! That feels nice." The assistant was massaging her scalp.

"Oh, good. Alice sad you needed a little TLC."

She blushed.

"And listen, once we're done with you, you'll have Edward in the palm of your hands."

Bella nearly sat up, but could not because the assistant was still giving her a scalp massage. "She told you about Edward?"

"No, not exactly. Just that she wants you looking good for him." He sighed. "I would too."

Bella giggled. "Has he been here before?"

He nodded. "He's had his hair trimmed here a few times."

Bella couldn't imagine Edward having his hair washed. The assistant whose name she learned was John went on to wax eloquent about Edward. She thought it would be upsetting to talk about Edward, but John's open and friendly manner made it difficult to be upset.

After John was finished, he wrapped her head in a towel and led her back to the salon chair. She was joined by the hairdresser named Robert. He complimented her on the color of her hair, but said, "But since it's summer, we'll add some subtle highlights."

Bella looked alarmed at the suggestion. She said, "I'm going to be in a wedding in a couple of weeks."

He patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. You won't look like a skunk. It'll look like your hair was kissed by the sun."

Bella gripped the armrests.

Two and a half hours later, Robert was finishing with Bella's hair and John was applying lip gloss. Alice smiled when she walked in and saw her.

"You look fantastic, Bella!"

Bella waited for John to finish applying the lip gloss before she said, "What the hell did you have them do to me?"

Alice laughed. "Have you seen yourself?"

Robert turned Bella's salon chair around, so she could see her reflection. It wasn't a dramatic change, but it was definitely noticeable. Her long dark hair that usually hung limp near her elbows had been cut just below her shoulders and layered. Robert was right about the color. It looked like her hair was lightened by the sun. Normally, the color of coffee, it was now a chestnut color. The cooling pack helped with her swollen eyes and the lip gloss, a pearl color, made her lips actually look pouty.

"What the. . ." Bella could only stare at herself.

Robert's brow wrinkled. "You don't like it?"

John looked at Bella and then at her reflection. "Is it the lip gloss?"

"I-I" She looked at the reflections of John, Robert, and Alice who were all watching and waiting for her response. It was a minute before she said, "I look pretty damn good."

They all laughed. Then Alice said, "You were already beautiful. You just needed a little fine tuning."

Robert and John nodded in agreement.

With new found confidence, maybe she was ready to go the Cullens' house now.

"Now, let me show you what I got for you," Alice said.

_Maybe not,_ she thought.

Bella stepped out of the salon chair and Alice led her to a chaise lounge that Bella had occupied earlier when she had the cooling pack on. Alice had several bags.

"Alice, please tell me that some of this is yours."

She shook her head. "This is all for you."

"But-"

She waved her hand. "These are all just essentials." Alice opened the first bag and it had several pairs of underwear and a couple of bras.

"You bought me underwear?"

"Hey, you seriously needed some."

Bella rolled her eyes.

She proceeded to show Bella what was in each bag quickly. Alice knew if she dragged it out, she'd lose Bella. Bella was never one to really care about the details about clothing.

Afterward, Bella was stunned.

"Bella?" Alice waved a hand in front of her.

Bella blinked a few times.

Alice's brow wrinkled. "You don't like it?"

"Actually, I'm just surprised."

"Why?"

"I thought. . . I really like all the things you picked out for me."

Alice bounced and clapped. "See! There was nothing to worry about."

Bella smiled.

"Now before we go, I want you do one more thing."

Bella's smile disappeared. "What?"

"Promise."

"But, I've already-"

"One last thing!"

"Fine! I promise."

"Put this on."

Bella took the bag Alice held out. She looked inside and pulled out a button down, sheer-white capped sleeved shirt.

"Just take off your hoodie and leave your tank top on."

"But," Bella did what she was told and slid into the shirt. When she started buttoning it, Alice made her stop at the button right below her bust line. "You can still see my tank top." Bella pinched the shirt together where it should've been buttoned.

"That's the point." Alice rolled her eyes.

"But why can't I button it up to the top?"

"Because it's cuter this way." She led Bella back to the mirror.

Bella looked at herself in front of the mirror. She couldn't help smiling. It was just one clothing item she changed and it made such a difference. Her dark jeans were a nice contrast to the sheer white blouse. The shirt gave her the modesty she was used to, but it showed off her curves in a flattering way.

"Look at you!" John said.

"Thanks." Bella's smile grew wider.

"And here." He handed her the lip gloss color he had used on her, but it was sealed.

"Oh, I can't." She tried to give it back.

He shook his head. "Consider it a little gift from me and Robert."

She couldn't help it and hugged him. "Thank you."

"Let's get going! I have a feeling someone is dying to see you." Alice gave Bella a cryptic smile.

"Oh no." Bella had an image in her mind of Emmett obsessively sending text messages to Alice.

"I got like fifty text messages."

Bella's brow wrinkled. Emmett could by annoying, but fifty text messages was beyond his normal annoyance level. "From who?"

Alice rolled her eyes.

Bella hesitated before she said, "Edward?"

Alice gave her a wide grin.

Bella gasped in disbelief. "He did not!"

Alice smiled. "Okay. Maybe more like twenty-five."

Bella said, "What did he say?"

A small smile played on Alice's lips. "Variations of 'When are you coming home?' and 'Are you almost done?' and the last one was my favorite."

Bella gave Alice and expectant look.

"He offered to bring you back himself so I could keep shopping."

Bella laughed and shook her head in disbelief. She was sure that Alice was exaggerating. Edward couldn't possibly be that interested in when she was coming over.

They said goodbye to Robert and John and headed out to Alice's car.

They drove in silence. Alice glanced at Bella when they stopped at a red light.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

Bella snapped out of her daze. "Huh? Oh, I was just. . . it's going to take a while for me to pay you back."

Alice waved her hand. "Don't worry about it."

Bella protested.

Alice waved her hand again. "I said don't worry about it." A corner of her mouth turned up. "Edward's face when he sees you will be worth it."

"Alice, I think you're placing too much hope on this. Edward doesn't get easily impressed by girls."

"No, not normally, but you're not just any girl to him."

Bella shook her head. "Aren't you laying it on kind of thick now?"

Alice laughed. "Well, we'll soon find out." Alice pulled in to the long driveway that led to the back of the house.

Bella didn't realize how nervous she was to see Edward until they got there. She wiped her palms on her jeans.

Alice saw the gesture and let out a small laugh. "Don't worry." She was out of the car first.

Bella stayed in the car for a minute to collect herself. Alice popped the trunk and started getting stuff out. Once she felt her heart beat at a normal rate, Bella climbed out of the car.

"What took you guys so long? I thought something happened."

"Gees, Edward. Didn't Rosalie tell you we'd be late for dinner?"

"Yeah, but that was three hours ago. You could've-"

At this point, Alice shut the trunk of her car. Edward saw Bella climb out of the car.

She said, "Hey."

Edward felt his mouth open, but nothing came out.

A wide grin spread on Alice's face. Then she said, "Come on, Bell. Let's go have some dinner."

"Okay." She shut the door and came around the car. She was a little disconcerted at the way Edward was staring at her. His hands were laden with all the bags that had been in Alice's trunk.

Bella said, "Do you need help?"

It took a moment to process the question. When he realized that Bella was reaching for some of the bags, Edward stammered, "No. I got it."

"Okay." Bella tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and followed Alice to the house.

Edward watched Bella walk away. She was beauty personified.

She turned around and looked at him. "Edward?"

He shook his head, clearing him out of his daze. She was the same, but not. "Sorry." He caught up to her and continued his study of her appearance.

Bella saw that he was looking at her again. She smiled and said, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He couldn't take his eyes off her and Bella was caught in his gaze too. They somehow made it through the house and into the kitchen.

They were snapped out of their stupor when Emmett said, "What happened to Bella?"

Rosalie smacked him on the arm.

Bella said, "This is what girls look like."

"But you're my sister."

Bella rolled her eyes.

Jasper came around the couch and said, "You look gorgeous."

Bella grinned. "Thank you."

Edward had a mild scowl on his face. He realized he should've been the first to say it instead of just gawking at her.

Emmett looked at all the bags in Edward's hands. "Gees, did you buy out the whole mall?"

"No, just the lingerie stores," Bella said.

"What do you need that kind of stuff for?" He asked.

Bella put her hands on her hips. "Well, since you'll be gone for a whole week, I'll have plenty of opportunities to-"

"Bella," Emmett warned.

Bella opened her mouth, but Edward said, "I'll just put this stuff away." He proceeded to go to the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Bella asked.

Rosalie said, "You're sleeping in Edward's room."

"What?" Emmett and Bella said at the same time.

"Edward's sleeping on the couch."

"But-" Bella said.

"I'll be in the guest room." Rosalie gave Edward a look that dared him to challenge her, but he didn't. Rosalie wanted to make it clear to Emmett that nothing was going on between her and Edward.

Emmett opened and closed his mouth several times, but after a few seconds, he said, "Oh. Okay."

Bella stammered. "But, what-I don't-Why?"

Edward said, "Bella, why don't you come upstairs with me. I'll show you my room and I'll explain things."

Bella looked around the room. Everyone pretended to be preoccupied with something except Emmett.

Bella mouthed the words, "_What's going on?"_

Emmett just shrugged.

She sighed in frustration.

Edward said, "Come on, Bella." And he walked toward the stairs.

Bella had no choice and followed Edward.

They climbed the L-shaped staircase and when they got to the top, Bella saw there was a walkway that wrapped around the perimeter of the second floor with an opening in the middle looking down into the foyer.

Alice's room was the first door off the stairs. They walked toward the end of the walkway where Edward's room was situated. Carlisle and Esme's master suite was on the other side of the floor separated by a small sitting room.

Bella had actually never been in Edward's room before. Every time she was there before, she came to see Alice, so she had only been in the guest room, the common areas in the house, and Alice's room.

He turned the knob of his door and opened it, then flicked on the switch to his left and the room became only dimly lit. Bella looked at the switch and she saw it had a dimmer feature and it was on a low setting.

There was a large window that nearly took up one of the walls. It was like a canvas that provided a three dimensional portrait of the city. It was night, so the sky was dark, but the city skyline was lit up. Near the window was Edward's bed.

His huge, empty bed.

"Um, why can't I just stay with Alice?"

"Jasper's staying with Alice."

"Right." Bella could not tear her eyes away from his bed. It had to be a king size bed. So many questions popped up in her mind, but the most prevailing question was if he ever shared it with anyone.

Then she remembered Rosalie.

She suddenly felt ill.

Edward put the bags down near the door. When he saw the expression on Bella's face, he became concerned. "Are you alright?"

Bella swallowed hard. "I don't know."

"What's the matter?"

"I don't think I can stay here."

"It's alright. I'll be fine on the couch."

"No, I mean, maybe I should take the couch."

"Don't be silly. I want you in my room tonight."

Bella looked at Edward.

When he realized how his words could be taken, Edward said, "I mean, you'll only have to stay here for one night. Rosalie will be leaving tomorrow and you can have the guest room then."

"Oh." She felt a little better, but not a whole lot.

"Listen," he took her hand, "I need to talk to you about Rosalie."

"I'm actually really tired." Bella felt a dull throb building up behind her eyes.

"But it'll only take a second."

"Alice, really put me through a lot today at the mall." It was a half truth. She didn't do any of the shopping, but the experience in the salon was just as draining.

He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. Edward seemed to be deciding something and after a moment, he said, "Of course, you're tired. I just. . ." He looked at her for a minute, "We'll talk first thing in the morning."

Bella nodded.

He said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but you look. . ." His eyes roamed all over her face.

Bella felt herself blush.

There weren't any words, so instead he leaned down and brushed his lips on her temple. Then he said in a low voice, "Good night."

He let go of her hand and went to the door. He gave her one last look before he shut it behind him.

Bella sat on the floor at the foot of Edward's bed. She leaned against it and drew her knees to her chest. Then she rested her forehead on top of her knees. The whole day was a blur and yet she felt so drained. She had never experienced such a wide range of emotions in such a short amount of time.

She knew it was important to hear what Edward had to say, but she didn't think she had the strength to endure another Cullen interview. Alice was pretty intense and she had a feeling talking with Edward would be the same.

Bella realized she had to get into bed as soon as possible before Alice came in to investigate. She was hungry, but she'd rather feign sleep than face all of them downstairs. She felt like such a coward, but she was in self preservation mode. She still had a week left at this house.

She found the travel bag she packed and took out the old shirt that Alice nearly tossed out. She was quick to slip out of her flip-flops and clothes and into the t-shirt she slept in. She went over to the dimmer and turned off the lights. The room was still bright enough for her to see her way toward Edward's bed. The city lights cast a soft glow on the bed which caused it to look incredibly inviting.

His duvet was a charcoal shade and the sheets and pillows were a complementary granite color. She couldn't help smiling at how masculine it all was and when she lay her head down on one of his pillows, Bella buried her nose in it, taking in Edward's scent.

She cursed to herself. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to fall asleep now.

Bella let her cheek rest on the pillow. She remembered the other morning in her room when she had to stop herself from taking in his scent. It was strange how she felt so familiar with it now, but she did not really think about it since she could now savor his scent without having to worry about the repercussions.

A nagging feeling at the back of her mind was about to resurface, but instead Bella let herself get caught up in the memory of a dream she had of Edward. In the dream, Bella was showing Edward how she felt about him. It had been so vivid. She touched and tasted him. Her favorite part of the dream was when she felt the planes of his back. He had such broad shoulders. She also remembered feeling frustrated because he wouldn't touch her back. Instead, he was content in just holding her. It was a bittersweet dream.

When she woke up this morning, she was a little aggravated that she couldn't even get any in her dreams. However, Edward had been so sweet and the sensation of his arms around her made her feel safe and secure. She admitted to herself that she wouldn't mind having that dream again.


	6. Chapter 6: Transformation

_A/N: I wanted to thank the reader(s) who nominated my story at Twilight Awards in the AH Category. There are more details about it in my profile, but I wanted to say thank you. The response to this story has been wild and I'm glad you guys are enjoying it._

_Special thanks to spotzle and vjgm for their epic beta powers. _

_Your eagerness for this story astounds me. Thank you all for the reviews and for those of you who don't normally read AH fics, thanks for giving this story a chance._

_Should I even bother apologizing for the length again? :)_

**Chapter 6 "Transformation"**

_My poor heart_

_It's been so dark_

_Since you've been gone_

_After all you're the one who turns me off_

_You're the only one who can turn me back on_

-"Turn Me On" by Nora Jones

Edward stretched out on the sectional couch in the living room and draped an arm over his eyes. It was a comfortable couch and his mom, when she purchased it, made sure that it was long and wide enough to accommodate him or in her words, "My lanky son."

After he showed Bella to his room and she decided to turn in early, he didn't see much point in the rest of the evening. Edward had waited all day to see her and when he finally did, he barely got a chance to talk to her.

_But damn did she look good,_ he thought.

Growing up, Edward looked out for her just as he would his own sister Alice. Except Bella needed a lot more looking after.

Lately he thought that maybe Bella didn't need looking after so much and he just used that as an excuse to be near her.

She obviously survived just fine on her own while he was at Berkeley. It's not that he thought that she'd be destitute or near death without him, but he certainly wasn't expecting to find her so independent and strong willed either. Edward knew that Emmett had a lot to do with it.

Bella really came in to her own like he knew she would. For a long time, she was just Emmett's sister and then she became Bella whose brother was Emmett.

Emmett who was his best friend.

One of the things that endeared Bella to Edward was her genuine ignorance of how beautiful she truly was. All of the boys would line up if they could, if Emmett wasn't there to swat them away like flies. For a time, Edward was part of that line of defense mostly because Emmett was his friend and he wanted to help protect his little sister. At times, Bella saw him as The Other Brother.

Eventually-he didn't know how it happened; he was in the middle of it before he knew- but Edward no longer wanted Bella to see him as The Other Brother.

Seeing her last night after their trip back from the mall, brought back the memories he'd had when he first realized his feelings toward Bella had changed.

Bella started to come in to her own the summer before her junior year when his parents had taken them to their cabin at the lake. Of course, the Swans were invited. Charlie declined the invitation, but Emmett and Bella accompanied them.

He and Emmett came out for the day first and went on the water, whether it was jet skiing, wind surfing, or whatever water sport they fancied. Alice and Bella usually got up later in the day and mainly laid out in the sun. It was the routine they had any time they stayed at the cabin, so Edward was not expecting anything unusual.

Edward and Emmett were coming in from their day in the water and headed back to the cabin. They grabbed some sodas from the fridge and they were about to head out to the patio when they saw that Alice and Bella were already there. Usually, they laid out by the lake.

Emmett made a big deal about them being there and what they were wearing, or rather how little they were wearing. He asked them what happened to their old bathing suits and Bella replied that they hadn't worn one piece bathing suits since they were twelve. When Emmett realized that meant that they had been dressing the way they were - in hardly anything – for years, Emmett almost had a heart attack.

Alice assured him that they were fine, but explained that day, a bunch of guys were bothering them, so they came back. That seemed to placate Emmett, but he swore that if he saw the guys who bothered them he'd tear them a new one. Emmett made it clear that he didn't want them going down to the lake "dressed like that" anymore. Alice gave him a breezy okay, knowing it was better just to let him cool off. Bella was about to argue, but instead, flipped on her stomach and undid her top. This caused Emmett to flee the patio in a panic. After that, Emmett would not come near the patio if the girls were out there laying out.

Looking back at it now, Edward felt pretty naive about it. Of course Bella would lay out in a bikini, but to actually _see_ her in one pretty much confirmed how he felt.

Edward _wanted_ Bella.

And he hated himself for it. Bella looked up to him and trusted him to protect her. Countless times, she would look to him for guidance and trusted his judgment. It wasn't that Emmett was a bad brother, but things were so cut and dry with Emmett. Bella looked to Edward for understanding the things that fell in between the lines.

He liked Emmett's straight forward perspective on life. Things were either good or bad, right or wrong, easy or hard. Emmett helped to ground Edward's tendency to over think things.

Emmett was his best friend, and Bella was his best friend's sister. If he acted on his feelings for Bella, Edward believed it would be a disaster. Bella never gave any indication that she saw him as more than just a brotherly type. He could imagine how it might hurt her that he would take advantage of her trust if he ever chose to act on his feelings.

And the world of retaliation that Emmett would bring down on him for hurting Bella? Unimaginable. He really valued Emmett's friendship and he knew that Emmett respected him and his loyalty to their friendship.

He could never act on his feelings for Bella because he couldn't betray either of them.

"Oh, good. You're awake." Alice laid some clothes by his feet. "I got these for you."

Edward sat up. "Is Bella awake?"

Alice shook her head. "I went in to try and wake her, but she. . ." a small smile played on her lips before she said, "She's still asleep. Maybe you'll have better luck." She headed over to the kitchen. "I'm going to start making breakfast."

Edward shot up from the couch with his clothes in hand and sprinted up the stairs. He didn't get to sleep until really late. Alice and Jasper were the first to turn in, but Rosalie and Emmett stayed up late talking. Around one in the morning, Edward went into the guest room and crashed, but around five, Rosalie kicked him out and he went back to the couch in a daze.

It was a little after eight in the morning now. Normally he would've been annoyed with Alice for waking him up so early after the tumultuous night he had, but not only was he glad that he had not slept through the morning, Edward was also eager to see Bella.

He made a mental note to make sure to get Alice something expensive for her wedding present.

He used the upstairs bathroom to change, freshen up, and then he went to his room to wake Bella.

He knocked on the door. "Bella?"

There was no answer. There was a sense of deja-vu to the situation which caused him to hesitate just for a second before he opened the door.

Bella was still asleep. He put his pajamas on his desk and walked over to his bed. She was laying on her side in a t-shirt. He didn't realize he was holding his breath, anticipating the state of dress or undress he would find her in. He was a guy, so he was a little disappointed that there would be no repeat performance of the other morning, but he was also relieved because he didn't think something like a flimsy bed sheet could stop him this time.

He reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle shake. "Bella? It's morning. It's time to wake-up."

Her forehead wrinkled, but she did not wake up.

Edward leaned closer. "Bella?"

She flipped on her back. "No, Alice. Not yet. It's too early."

He couldn't help smiling. _So, maybe she wasn't expecting Jacob that morning_, he thought.

Edward reached for her and cupped her face. "Bella, wake-up." He traced the apple of her cheek with his thumb.

He was surprised by her immediate response. She leaned into his hand and reached up with her own and held onto it.

His name came out in a long sigh, "Edward." Then Bella took his hand and dragged it down past her collarbone and onto her chest. She leaned into his touch and sighed again.

Edward blinked several times and swallowed hard. "Bella?" With his other hand, he cupped her face again, trying to wake her up.

"Not yet, Alice."

He was confused. "It's not Alice. It's Edward."

She leaned into his hand that cupped her face. "Yes." Which was accompanied by another long sigh of his name.

_What is she dreaming about? _He wondered.

He repeated, "It's Edward. I'm right here. Bella," He added for good measure, "this isn't a dream."

Bella had the beginnings of a smile on her face, but at Edward's words, the smile disappeared and her brow wrinkled again. It took another minute for her eyes to flutter open.

She said, "Alice?"

"No, it's Edward."

Her eyes came into focus and they widened in recognition. "Edward?"

He smiled and said, "So, is this me getting to second base?"

Bella was aware of one of his hands caressing her face, but when she saw the other one on her right breast because _she_ held it there, Bella shot up from bed, pulling away from Edward's hands.

She let out a string of curses.

Edward held up his hands. "Sorry."

"I can't believe you-"

"I was trying to wake you up."

"By groping me!"

"You're the one that put my hand there."

"That's a lie!"

"Alice tried waking you up before. She sent me up here because she thought I'd have better luck getting you to wake up."

"But you didn't have to-"

"I swear," he looked at her with genuine sincerity, "I did not initiate that."

Bella opened her mouth and closed it. She couldn't very well say, "Why not?" She hated herself for feeling disappointed. She realized that she had been dreaming and thought that Edward needed some encouragement, so in her dream, she-

"Is that a Forks High football practice shirt?" Edward interrupted her thoughts and leaned in to take a closer look at it.

Bella pulled up the comforter in front of her blocking his view. "It's Emmett's."

"Bella," he lifted the left sleeve of the t-shirt. It had the name CULLEN printed on it in capital letters. "I know you can read." He let go of the sleeve. "How'd you get this?"

"I. . .It was mixed up in Emmett's clothes." Edward waited for her to continue. Bella took a deep breath. "I was doing his laundry and when I was sorting it, I found it. It must've gotten mixed up with his stuff after a practice."

"So, you kept it this whole time?"

Bella couldn't read his expression. She raised her chin in defense and said, "I was going to give it back to you, but I never got the chance."

Edward shifted in his spot.

Bella threw off the covers and proceeded to climb out of the other side of the bed. "I better get changed." She walked toward the foot of the bed and looked back at him. "You probably want this back."

Edward stood and swallowed hard when he saw Bella. Her bare legs were endless and she was standing in the middle of his room in one of his t-shirts. A realization hit him.

"Do you wear that t-shirt to sleep every night?"

Bella shuffled her feet. "Not every night." She fisted the hem of the shirt when Edward walked around to the foot of the bed.

"You didn't have it on the other morning when I-"

"I told you, I was too tired to change into my pajamas." Bella cringed. She didn't want him to know that his t-shirt was her pajamas.

He raised his eyebrows at the fact that she slept in his t-shirt or nothing at all. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"You probably want this back," she lowered her voice, "So you can give it to Rosalie."

The last comment had him looking into her eyes. "Why would I want to give it to Rosalie?"

"Well, isn't that what the football players did?" Edward continued to look at her like he had no clue what she was talking about. "You guys gave your jerseys to your girlfriends."

"Oh, but she doesn't wear stuff like that to bed."

Bella cringed.

When he realized how his words were misunderstood, Edward held up his hands and said, "I mean, she's not my girlfriend."

"What?" She had a look of distrust on her face.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about last night." He took a step forward. "Rosalie isn't my girlfriend."

"I don't understand. Then why. . ."

"It's complicated."

Bella gave him an expectant look.

Edward took in a deep breath. "When we first met, we did go out on a couple of dates, but nothing really clicked." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "But it seemed everyone assumed that we were an item and. . . it was just convenient for the both of us. And it also seemed to make Jasper and Alice happy at the time."

"What do you mean it was convenient?"

Edward shoved a hand in his pocket. "Rosalie needed someone to accompany her to stuff that her clients would invite her to. Sometimes it was just dinner. Other times it was a weekend away somewhere. I'd go with her so that her clients wouldn't think that she was available for other things besides finding them a car."

"But that doesn't seem very fair to you."

He shrugged. "I didn't mind."

Bella wasn't sure about how to feel about the news. A part of her was excited about the fact that Rosalie wasn't his girlfriend, but she thought it was strange that he was so willing to be Rosalie's pretend boyfriend.

They heard Alice calling them from downstairs. "You guys, breakfast is almost ready!"

Edward said, "We'll be down in a minute."

"I better get changed." Bella pulled at the collar of his t-shirt. "I'll give this back to you as soon as possible."

"No, I want you to keep it."

"I can't."

"I like it on you."

Bella felt like the temperature in the room just got ten degrees warmer. He closed the distance between them and Bella instinctively returned her grip on the hem of the shirt.

"What were you dreaming about?" He asked.

Bella tried to look away, but couldn't. She could see that his eyes were an amber color. She wondered what he could possibly be nervous about.

"I don't remember," she lied. She willed herself not to blush.

One of his eyebrows curved, giving his face a playful expression. "Really? It sounded. . . vivid."

She thought her knees were about to give way from under her because of the intent look in his eyes. "Um. . ." was all she could get out.

He lowered his voice. "I've never heard you say my name like that before."

Before Bella could deny it, Edward leaned down and her body reacted by meeting his lips.

But their lips had barely brushed against each other when they heard Alice approaching. "Breakfast is ready!" She appeared at the doorway. "What are you guys doing?"

They were standing a couple feet away from each other at this point.

Bella said, "We were just talking." She gave Edward a confused look before she continued, "I'm going to go. . ." She trailed off as she went to the bathroom down the hall.

Alice mouthed, _What happened?_

Edward shrugged.

When they heard Bella shut the door to the bathroom, Alice stood in the doorway, hands planted on her hips and said, "Did you tell her?"

Edward blinked. "Tell her what?"

Alice let out a frustrated sigh. "About Rosalie!"

"Um, yeah."

"And?"

"And what?"

She loved her brother, but sometimes he could be so obtuse. "Is Bella okay? How did she take the news?"

Edward shrugged again. "She seemed fine."

She looked up and closed her eyes. After half a minute, she said, "You can go downstairs now."

"But-"

"Go before breakfast gets cold."

He hated it when Alice pulled an Esme, but he wasn't going to argue. He left reluctantly.

Alice had a feeling that Bella probably needed a few minutes to collect herself. To help Bella out, Alice laid out some of the new clothes for when she was done in the bathroom.

Then she went downstairs to join the others. Jasper and Rosalie were at the kitchen table having breakfast. Edward was standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open.

After a couple of minutes, Alice said, "The juice is on the table."

Edward snapped out his daze. "Oh, right."

He walked over to the table and grabbed one of the glasses and poured himself some juice. He held the glass, but didn't drink it.

Rosalie said, "Are you alright, Edward?"

Jasper said, "Are you going to drink that?"

Edward looked up to see Rosalie and Jasper giving him concerned looks. "Uh, yeah." He took a sip, put the glass on the table and then he stood there staring at it.

Alice had come over to the table and sat next to Rosalie. She looked at Jasper across the table and then at Rosalie on her left. They gave Alice questioning looks, but she just shrugged.

Trying to diffuse the situation, Jasper said, "So, how late did Emmett stay last night?"

Rosalie choked on the coffee she was drinking.

"Oh, yeah." Alice had a smile threatening to spread on her lips.

This brought Edward out of his daze and he said, "I went to the guest room around one and she came and kicked me out around five, I think."

Rosalie's coffee cup landed with a loud thud on the table. "We had a lot more in common than we thought."

Edward raised his eyebrow. "Really? Like what?" He knew both of them well enough that they had nothing in common.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Edward.

Alice said, "Emmett doesn't strike me as your type."

"Emmett is a very interesting conversationalist." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Alice looked at Rosalie in disbelief and Edward did not bother to hide his laughter.

Rosalie rolled her shoulders back. "What?"

A small smile pulled at the corner of Jasper's mouth. "Rose, you forget that they grew up with Emmett."

Rosalie opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing came out.

Instead she blushed. Rosalie actually blushed.

"You're blushing!" Edward pointed at her.

Alice leaned in closer to inspect Rosalie's face. "You're right. Wow. I don't think I've ever seen you blush before."

"I am not!" The color was rising in her cheeks.

"You guys, we're adults here." Jasper felt a little sorry for his sister. He had never seen his sister react this way toward anyone before.

Alice smiled. "Sorry. It's actually really sweet."

Edward held up his hands as a sign of a truce.

Alice sat up in her seat. "I just had an idea," she continued before anyone could run away before hearing it. "The wedding is in a couple of weeks and Rosalie and I were talking about having some kind of combination bachelorette and wedding shower type of thing."

Rosalie, relieved to have the subject change, said, "Have you decided what you wanted to do?"

"Well, I was thinking since Jasper hadn't planned on having a bachelor party," she looked at Edward to confirm this who had a clueless expression on his face, she said, "why don't we go up to our parents' cabin by the lake for the weekend? All of us?"

"The cabin?" Edward said it with a hint of wariness.

"Yeah. We'll call Emmett too. He'll probably have to join us on Saturday, but I'm sure he'll be up for it." Alice looked at Rosalie.

She shifted in her spot. "Yeah, he might."

Jasper said, "That sounds like fun."

They all looked at Edward. He hesitated before he said, "I don't know. There's no internet access and I have to finish a write up for Dr. Pruisner. I was going to work on it this weekend and email it to him."

Alice said, "I thought you were all caught up."

"I brought some of my work with me, so that I could leave early."

"Edward, it's just one weekend." Alice had a mild look of disappointment.

"I don't think I could put it off any longer." He shoved a fist in his pocket.

Rosalie said, "Well, you have all week to work on it before the weekend. Unless," she gave him a knowing smile, "Maybe you had plans while Bella was staying here."

"I hadn't – We -" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll think about it." He left the kitchen and walked out through one of the French doors that lead to the wrap around porch. He shut the door behind him, making sure no one followed him out.

"Why's he so reluctant to go?" Rosalie asked.

Alice shrugged.

"He seemed really apprehensive about something," Jasper said and then sipped his coffee.

"We used to go to the cabin all the time with our parents and Emmett and Bella. I don't know why he's being like this," said Alice.

"Well, if we're going to the cabin this weekend, I better start adjusting my plans." Jasper stood up and walked around and kissed Alice on the cheek before he went upstairs.

Alice turned to Rosalie. "Will it be a problem for you to change your plans?"

Rosalie shook her head. "I left this weekend free because I wasn't sure what you wanted to do, but during the week, I have plans to be in Port-" Rosalie held up her hand to her mouth.

Alice raised an eyebrow at Rosalie. "What was that last part?"

"Nothing." She collected her breakfast dishes and went to the kitchen sink.

Alice followed her and was shocked to see Rosalie actually washing her dishes. "What's going on?"

"What?"

"Rosalie Hale, you never wash dishes."

Rosalie shut off the faucet and looked at Alice. She chewed on her lip, deciding whether or not to tell Alice of her plans.

A small smile spread on Alice's lips. Then she said, "Are you going to Portland to see Emmett?"

Rosalie's mouth fell partly open.

Alice's eyes widened with shock. "Oh my gosh, Rosalie! Are you serious?"

"Sshh!" Rosalie lowered her voice. "Please don't say anything. I can't believe I'm actually going to see him either, but last night. . ." she sighed.

Alice leaned forward. "What happened last night?"

Rosalie shook her head. "We were just talking and all of a sudden. . ." Rosalie blushed again. "I couldn't keep my hands off him."

Alice's eyebrows shot up.

"I know!" She shook her head to clear it. "He was talking about the conference in Portland and how he was looking forward to the seminar about the Forest Practice Act."

"The what?"

"I don't know. Something about having to replant trees once they've been harvested."

"Okay."

"He was actually excited and went on and on about it." Rosalie took in a deep breath. "The whole time I was expecting him to try something, anything especially when Edward left, but then he started talking about forest fires. And the thing is, he really was serious about what he was talking about."

Alice giggled. "That sounds like Emmett."

"Really? I thought he was just pretending or maybe even nervous."

Alice shook her head. "Sometimes he has a one track mind."

"Really?" This time Rosalie's tone was suggestive.

Alice rolled her eyes. "So that whole time he talked about trees and fires?"

Rosalie bit her lower lip. "Well, I don't know what came over me. I've never had a guy seem so disinterested in me before. I had to practically jump on his lap to get his attention."

Alice's mouth fell open.

"But nothing happened." Rosalie sounded disappointed.

"Nothing?"

"Well, we made out, but when I tried to. . . go a little further, you know what he said?"

"What?"

"He said, 'my sister's upstairs'. He was really worried about that." Rosalie sighed.

Alice let out a small laugh. "Yep, that's Emmett."

Rosalie turned to Alice. "Do you know if Edward talked to Bella about-"

"Yes, this morning."

Rosalie's shoulders dropped and she let out a deep sigh. "Thank, god."

"So are you going to tell Bella you're going to go visit her brother?" Alice teased.

Rosalie had an alarmed expression on her face. "No - I don't know. It was actually supposed to be a surprise. Should I?"

"Should you what?" Bella entered the kitchen.

Alice said, "Rosalie is going down to Portland."

"Oh, that's where Emmett's conference is." Bella walked over to the kitchen table. There was already a glass of juice next to the pitcher, so she picked it up and took a sip from it.

Alice looked at Rosalie. "That's right."

Rosalie shot her a warning look.

Bella looked at Rosalie and Alice who seemed to be caught up in some kind of staring match. "Are you guys okay?"

Rosalie gave Bella a bright smile. "Yeah. Great." She was a little too eager.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Rosalie saw Emmett while she was there?" Alice asked in an off-handed manner.

Rosalie elbowed Alice in the ribs. Alice did not even flinch.

"Oh, well, I guess that would be up to Emmett and," she hesitated before she said, "Rosalie."

"So, if they did happen to see each other while they were both there-"

"Alice." Rosalie warned.

Alice mouthed, _What?_

Bella came around the kitchen table and walked toward them while they stood in front of the kitchen sink. "Rosalie, do you have plans with Emmett in Portland?"

Rosalie swallowed hard before she said, "I was going to surprise him."

"Oh," Bella hesitated before she said, "he'd like that. I hope you guys have a good time."

"Really?" Rosalie threw her arms around Bella. "Thank you."

Bella, who like Emmett and Charlie, was unused to such displays of emotion, patted Rosalie's back in an awkward manner. "No, don't thank me. I actually should apologize to you." Bella let go of Rosalie and shifted in her spot.

"For what?"

"For those things I said yesterday." Bella looked down at the floor.

"You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, Edward-" Rosalie stopped when Alice coughed. "Anyway, it's all in the past. I'm just glad things have been cleared up."

"Bella, I was hoping you could help us with something," Alice said.

"Of course." Bella turned her attention to Alice.

"Well, we decided not to have a bachelorette party or a wedding shower," Alice said and looked at Rosalie.

"Right. Alice decided she wanted to do something else." Rosalie looked at Alice who nodded. "But we've hit a bit of a snag and we're hoping that you can help us."

Bella was relieved when Alice said there would be no bachelorette party or wedding shower. Whatever else they wanted to do, Bella was open to it.

Rosalie said, "Alice wanted to go to their parents' cabin by the lake this weekend instead."

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Bella really liked this idea.

Alice added, "I was thinking we could leave Friday and come back Monday morning."

Rosalie continued, "It would be small."

Alice said, "You could call Emmett and invite him."

"I think he'll be okay with it," Bella said. That was easy enough. If that's all she had to do to help out, Bella liked this idea even more.

"But there is one other thing that we were hoping you'd help us with," Rosalie said.

"Oh. What is it?"

"Maybe you could persuade Edward to come along?" Alice asked.

Suddenly the idea was not as appealing as it was a minute ago. "What?"

"Since the guys don't really have anything planned for Jasper, I thought it would be a good idea for all of us to spend time together," Alice said.

"But, Edward's being reluctant about it," Rosalie said.

"He made up some excuse about work," Alice said.

"Well, if he has work-"

"But it's nothing he can't do before the weekend," Rosalie said.

"And the wedding is in two weeks. It would mean a lot to me if we could all spend time together before then," Alice said.

Alice's expression made Bella feel bad. "I do want to help, but I don't understand why you guys think that Edward will listen to me."

Rosalie stepped in. "The fact that you're going is an advantage."

Alice said, "And if you ask. . . nicely, I'm sure he won't refuse."

"Nicely? Isn't that what you guys did and he still wouldn't go," Bella said.

"Not if _you_ ask," Alice said.

"I don't see how it'll make a difference," she said.

Rosalie threw her hands up in the air. "Gees, Bella. Just use your feminine wiles on him."

"What?" Bella said.

Alice rolled her eyes. "What she means is that if you just be yourself, Edward will come to the lake with us."

"I don't think it'll work." Bella's tone was skeptical.

"Let's fix you up just a little." Rosalie reached over and undid the bun Bella haphazardly put her hair in. "Ooh. Fresh from the shower. That will work." Rosalie scrunched Bella's hair in her hands to give it a wavy look.

"Oh, and here's the lip gloss from John," Alice held it up.

"How did you get that?" Bella asked.

"I went upstairs to get it," Alice said.

"But, I didn't see you-"

"Don't worry about it," Alice said and tore off the seal.

While Rosalie finished with Bella's hair, she said, "Okay, this is what you should say-"

Alice waved the lip gloss wand. "No, don't tell her what to say. Edward will know something's up."

Rosalie let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. What do you suggest?"

Alice finished applying the gloss and stood back to inspect their rush job. "Hmm. . . take off your hoodie."

"What?" Bella held on to it as if Alice was going to rip it off her.

"It wasn't part of the outfit I laid out for you," Alice said while replacing the lip gloss wand in the tube.

"But-"

"It's actually unseasonably warm out there right now."

"But all I'm wearing are the two tank tops you put out." She was also wearing a pair of shorts Alice had laid out with the layering tank tops. She almost didn't wear the shorts because they were a little shorter than she'd like, but seeing as she did not have any other pairs of shorts to wear, Bella put them on.

"Suit yourself," Alice shrugged and said, "you'll see when you go out there."

"Go out where?" Bella asked.

"Edward went out to the porch to sulk," Rosalie said.

Bella looked at the French doors and then back at Alice and Rosalie. "This is ridiculous." She took back her hair tie from Rosalie and put her hair back in a loose bun.

"Hey!" Rosalie cried out.

"I'm just going to go out there and ask." She moved to reach for a paper towel so she could wipe off the lip gloss, but Alice gave her a warning look.

"Don't you dare," she threatened.

Bella huffed, "Fine."

She walked to the French doors, but hesitated before she opened it. She saw that Edward was sitting on one of the deck chairs, but his back was facing the door.

"You know, you'll probably have a better chance if you sit next to him on the bench," Rosalie said at her elbow.

Bella swore. "Gees, where did you guys come from?" She saw that Alice was standing next to Rosalie.

Alice said, "I think Rosalie is right. Proximity is key."

"You guys-"

"What's going on?" Jasper saw them grouped by the French door.

"We're giving Bella pointers on how to persuade Edward to come with us to the lake this weekend," Alice said.

His brow wrinkled. "Why doesn't she just ask?"

"That's what I said!" Bella let out.

Rosalie and Alice rolled their eyes at Jasper.

He shook his head and said, "Bella, all you have to tell Edward is that it would make you very happy if he came to the lake with us."

"Me? Shouldn't I say it would make all of us happy?" Bella asked.

Jasper shook his head. "No, just say _you_."

_Like that'll work_, she thought. "Whatever." Bella turned the handle to the door and went outside and shut it behind her. She didn't need all three of them listening to her utterly fail at this.

Esme walked in to the kitchen and saw them all clumped around the door. "What's going on?"

Alice didn't look up. "Bella is going to convince Edward to come to the lake with us this weekend."

"And why the audience?"

All three looked up at the question and saw that Esme had pointed a look on her face.

"But, Mom, it's not like we can hear them. We're just watching through the window."

"That doesn't make it any better. I'm sure you all can find better things to do," Esme said.

They all came away from the French door rather reluctantly.

Bella stood outside the door for a moment collecting herself. She wasn't sure why Rosalie and Alice thought she could convince Edward to come with them especially if he did not want to go. She was also a little nervous facing him after what happened in his room. She couldn't believe she kissed him. Sort of.

She didn't think you could count it as a real kiss especially if their lips barely touched. But she was still embarrassed that she reacted in such a way. He was mesmerizing when he looked and talked to her that way and she found she could do little to resist him.

"Alice, I don't care what you say. I'm not going," Edward said.

Bella snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice. "Um. . . I'm sorry to hear that."

Edward shot up from his seat and turned around to see Bella standing by the door. "Oh, I thought. . ." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't know it was you."

Bella walked toward the porch railing. "I didn't mean to interrupt what you were doing."

He followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at his cell phone in his hand. "Oh, I wasn't doing anything. I was just checking my email." He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and walked over to her.

"Anything good?"

He lifted one shoulder up and then down. "Mostly just work stuff."

"So you really are busy with work stuff?"

"It's not too bad."

"Listen-"

"I-"

They talked at the same time.

"What were you going to say?" Edward asked.

"I was going to say that it's too bad you can't come to the lake because you've got a lot of work," Bella said.

Edward looked away.

Bella continued, "Rosalie and Alice sent me out here to try and persuade you to come with us to the lake."

"They did?" He couldn't help being disappointed for some reason.

"I told them that I didn't know why they thought I could convince you to come if you didn't want to especially if you have a lot of work to do."

"You're supposed to convince me?" He looked at her with a slightly bemused expression.

"I know it's stupid. Rosalie thought I should use my feminine wiles on you," she said and rolled her eyes.

He let out a small laugh. "Feminine wiles?"

She shrugged. "What does that even mean?"

"Maybe flirt shamelessly?"

Bella laughed. "Yeah, like that's going to happen."

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Me? Flirt with you? Isn't that kind of weird?"

"Why would it be weird?"

Bella looked at him and was surprised to see the serious look on his face. "Well, because you're Edward."

He blinked several times. "Was that a thinly veiled insult or something?"

Her eyes widened. "No!" It felt like the sun was focusing it's intensity on her. _Damn Alice for being right!_ She thought. Then she said,"I just meant that flirting seemed to never work on you."

"Were you. . . flirting with me and I missed it?"

"No," She let out a small laugh and said, "I was talking about like in high school. There were so many girls that tried to get your attention." Bella felt light perspiration on her forehead.

"But-"

"Can we go in the shade? It's kind of warm over here," she said.

"Uh, yeah." He led her to a bench which was shaded by the house. Once they were seated, he said, "So what does this all have to do with me coming to the lake?"

Bella fanned herself with an open palm. "I don't know. Rosalie thought that if I acted more feminine that I could convince you to go." Edward waited for her to continue, "But then Alice said that I just had to be myself or else you'd think something was up."

Edward couldn't help laughing.

"See, this is stupid."

"So what are you going to do?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what are you going to tell them when you get back in the house?"

"I don't know." Sitting in the shade was a little better, but she wasn't cooling off fast enough. She looked over at Edward. He was wearing a snug black t-shirt and dark jeans, but he didn't seem to be bothered by how warm it was.

She cursed to herself and unzipped her hoodie and took it off. She said, "Well, I guess I'll just tell them that you have a lot of work to do."

He was momentarily caught off guard when she took off her sweater. She went from being all legs to suddenly also having her arms, shoulders and neck exposed.

He brought his gaze back to her face. "You're not going to even try?"

"Try what?"

"To try and convince me to go?"

"What's the point if you've already decided that you're not going?"

He hesitated before he said, "Well, it couldn't hurt to try could it? I mean, at least you could tell them you tried, right?"

"So, I could humiliate myself?"

"Why would it be humiliating?"

"Well, you're not going and. . . I don't have any feminine wiles."

He smiled. "What if I keep an open mind? Plus, I know how excruciatingly painful it is for you to do this, so I promise I won't laugh or make fun of you."

She couldn't help smiling. "It's not excruciatingly painful." She was gripping the edge of the bench and looking down. "Maybe it's just painful."

After a moment, Bella took in a deep breath. She picked up her sweater that she had laid in between them and moved it so that it was no longer acting as a barrier.

Edward was sitting at the other end of the bench. He was facing her. One elbow was on the armrest and he had extended his other arm across the top of the backrest.

Bella had moved a couple of inches closer into Edward's personal space. She was embarrassed by what she was about to do next and was afraid her voice would fail her. Edward sat up just a little in response to Bella's movement.

She reached up and undid her hair. She knew it probably looked like a tangled mess especially after what Rosalie did to it, but it was the only thing Bella could think of that would be considered feminine.

Bella faced Edward. "Aren't you even a little interested in going to the lake with us?"

It took a moment for Edward to formulate an answer. "Maybe a little."

She smiled and tucked one of her legs under her, so she could turn her body toward Edward. "I really enjoyed the times we all went when we were younger."

"Me too." He smiled, but then his smile faded.

Bella continued, "We haven't been there in a long time, and I think it would be really nice if we all went. I bet we'd have fun and Alice said she'd like us all to spend time together before the wedding."

"Yeah, but-" He made a movement to get up, but Bella placed a hand on his knee.

She said, "Is something else bothering you?"

"No, why would you say that?" He couldn't help looking down at her hand on his knee.

"You had this look on your face when I mentioned going there as kids."

He looked up at her. "Oh, it just seems like that was a long time ago."

"You know what was one of my favorite things that we did when we were there?"

He waited for her to continue.

"When we'd all go down to the lake at night and have a bonfire. I remember once you dared Emmett to eat a whole bag of roasted marshmallows. It took him a while, but he did and he asked you what he won."

Edward grinned.

"And you said respect," Bella laughed and said, "Then you guys wrestled and ended up in the lake."

"My mom wasn't too happy about that," Edward said.

"And you made the best s'mores!" Bella's face lit up.

Edward could feel the back of his neck burning. "Can I tell you something?"

"What?"

"I don't like s'mores."

Bella's eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded.

"But you made them all the time."

"Well, I knew you liked them."

Bella laughed and then she said, "That's really sweet."

Edward was caught off guard by the comment.

Bella didn't notice Edward's reaction and continued, "Emmett never made me a s'more."

"That's because he was too busy eating them all."

They both laughed. After a moment, Bella said, "See? How can you not be persuaded by all these great memories?"

"True, I should be." He gave her a good natured smile.

"But?"

"I'll think about it."

"You'll think about it?" She shifted closer to him. "It'll be fun."

It was becoming more difficult for Edward to keep his resolve. He didn't know if he could handle seeing Bella in a bathing suit especially when he knew what was waiting underneath.

Bella still had her hand on his knee and occasionally gave it a gentle squeeze when she emphasized a point. She had one of her legs tucked under her and he felt her knee brush up against his thigh when she shifted closer to him. The guileless expression on Bella's face meant that she was totally clueless about what she was doing to him.

"I'm sure it will be," he barely managed to say.

Bella studied him for a minute. When they were talking about the bonfire, he seemed ready to agree to go to the lake. Then for whatever reason, she felt a wall go up. She did not understand how he would be so warm one minute and then closed off the next. She remembered what Jasper had told her and decided to give it a try.

She licked her lips before she said, "I-I would be very happy if you came to the lake with us."

Edward blinked several times. "What?"

"Never mind." She moved to get up, but Edward put his hand over her hand on his knee.

"Bella, what did you say?"

She took a deep breath and said, "I'd be very happy if you came to the lake."

His eyes examined her face. "Really?"

"Yes," She looked down. Bella knew she should stop, but for some reason she felt compelled to continue. "It would be nice if you and I got to spend time there together." She looked up at him. "Will you come to the lake?"

Edward's mouth hung open.

"Edward?"

He blinked a few times and then he smiled and said, "Yes, I'll go."

"You will?" She grinned.

He squeezed her hand. "Bella, you didn't need Rosalie or Alice's help."

Her forehead wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

"You could ask me anything right now, and I'd say yes."

Bella withdrew her hand from Edward's. "You promised you wouldn't make fun of me."

"I didn't mean-"

"I was trying to-" She stood.

"I know." Edward stood as well.

"I meant every word I said. I wasn't trying to trick you or anything like that." Her cheeks were burning.

She turned to walk away, but Edward put his hand on her arm. "I know, and I wasn't making fun of you." He withdrew his hand and ran his fingers through his hair. "I think I know why Alice sent you out here to ask me to go to the lake."

Bella waited for him to explain.

He gave her a small smile and said, "It's probably because I can't say no to you."

She gave him a playful smile. "You shouldn't have said that."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"I'll remember that for later." She grabbed her sweater and walked back to the house.

Edward followed her. "What's happening later?"

"I meant for future reference." She turned around and said, "You know, like if I need heavy boxes moved or someone to shoo away big bugs, I'll know who to call."

"That's what Emmett's for," he said with some amusement in his voice.

"Oh, right," she said over her shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll think of something."

"Bella?"

She was about to turn the handle to the door, but stopped when Edward called her name. She turned to face him and waited for him to continue.

He shifted in his spot before he said, "In my room. . ."

Bella felt her cheeks burn. "Oh."

"Before Alice came in."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Sorry about what?"

"I was actually trying to step back, but I guess. . ." She started to lie.

He couldn't help smiling. "Really? Because it seemed like you did the opposite."

"It was an accident." She stepped back, but was already up against the door. She cursed to herself. _How is it that Edward always manages to pin me against a door? _She thought.

"An accident?" He said in a wary tone.

"Yeah, like bumping elbows or something. I actually meant to step back, but I lost my balance."

He gave her a look of disbelief.

"Yeah, kissing accidents. They're pretty common. You can google it." She turned around before he could say anything and opened the door. When she walked back in the house, Alice and Rosalie were sitting on the couch.

They both stood at the same time. Rosalie asked, "Well?"

"He said he's going."

Rosalie raised her eyebrows and Alice bounced and clapped at the same time.

Edward had followed Bella inside and saw their reactions. He said, "I still have that write up to do."

Alice skipped over to her brother and hugged him. "I know you'll get it done before the weekend."

He hugged his sister back and shook his head.

Rosalie walked over to Bella and in a low voice said, "Nice work."

Bella looked at her with a surprised expression. "But I didn't do anything."

Rosalie gave her a knowing look. "Sure."

Bella shook her head.

"Well, I better get started." Edward made a move to go upstairs to his room.

"Oh, let me get my stuff out of your room." Bella followed Edward.

He stopped and turned to face her. "You don't have to take your stuff out. I was just going to get my laptop and bring it down here anyway."

"Yeah, but I've got class and work later today, so I want to get my stuff out of there before it gets late."

"Oh," he tried to keep the sound of disappointment out of his voice.

Rosalie said, "Bella, you can bring down your stuff to the guest room. My flight is later this evening, so there's no reason why you shouldn't move in there now."

"Are you sure?" Bella asked.

Rosalie nodded. "Plus, you can show me what Alice got you at the mall."

Alice jumped. "Oh, Rose. I want to show you what I picked up at Cacique."

"Oooh," Rosalie purred and both of them were off to Edward's room leaving Bella and Edward in their wake.

"What's Cacique?" He asked.

Bella shrugged. "Alice actually did all the shopping while I was in the salon."

"That must've been nice for you."

Bella nodded.

Eager to see what Alice purchased, Rosalie and Alice reached Edward's room before them. Edward and Bella were only half a minute behind, but it was enough time for them to start going through the bags.

When Bella and Edward entered, Rosalie and Alice were not going through the clothes first. On Edward's bed lay several pairs of underwear and bras.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Bella felt her cheeks burn.

"I'm showing Rosalie what I got for you at Cacique." Alice said and she came over and took Bella by the hand and guided her over to the bed.

Rosalie held up a pair of soft pink cotton string bikini panties in front of Bella's lower body. "Why didn't you get something with lace?"

"Bella wouldn't wear it if it had lace." Alice picked up the matching bra. It was a simple soft pink bra with a little pink bow in between the cups and she held it up in front of Bella's upper body. "The trick is to keep it simple."

"You guys," Bella warned. Edward had stayed in the door way, but she was sure he could still see everything. "Can we continue this discussion-"

"But what about these?" Rosalie put down the pink underwear and picked up a pair of midnight blue boy short panties and held them in front of Bella's lower body.

Bella took them from Rosalie and held them up. "What is this?"

Alice laughed and said, "It's stretch lace. I know you like this style of underwear, but I thought it would be good if you tried it in something else besides cotton."

Bella pulled and stretched it. Then she held it over her lower body. "Are you sure this is comfortable?"

Rosalie nodded. "It's very comfortable actually, but it's probably best to wear it under a skirt or a dress."

Alice reached into another bag and pulled out a sun dress. She held it up in front of Bella. It was dark blue, but had a light blue floral pattern on it. It stopped right at Bella's knees and was strapless.

"Is there a matching bra?" Bella asked.

Alice shook her head. "You don't need a bra for this outfit."

Edward stifled a groan.

"You should try this on. I want to see how this looks on you." Rosalie said.

"Ooh, yes!" Alice said and bounced at the same time.

Bella shrugged and pulled at the bottom of her tank tops, but stopped when she heard Edward cough from the doorway.

They all looked in his direction.

Alice said, "Oh, I forgot you were still here."

Bella cursed to herself. Alice and Rosalie always made her forget herself. She felt her face go flush.

"Well?" Rosalie gave Edward an expectant look.

"Well what?" He managed to say.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch?" Alice asked.

Edward opened and closed his mouth several times and then he ran his fingers through his hair.

"We should move downstairs to the guest room. Edward has that write up to work on," Bella said.

"We'll just go to my room," Alice said.

"But isn't Jasper in there?" Bella asked.

"I'll kick him out," Alice said and went to her room.

"Oh, that reminds me. I better go clear up some stuff in the guest room before you move down there," Rosalie said and left the room.

Bella saw that her new underwear was still strewn all over Edward's bed. She snatched them up and stuffed them in the bag they came in. "Sorry."

He took a step into his room. "It's alright."

"I didn't mean to get caught up in all that. I don't normally wear this kind of stuff."

Edward shoved a fist in his pocket.

Bella continued, "It'll be interesting to see how it will all look. I liked that pink bra, but I don't know about these lacey boy shorts." Bella took out the pair of midnight blue underwear from the bag and turned to face Edward. "Lace is usually stiff and scratchy, but this stuff," She held up the pair of underwear and pulled it sideways. "I didn't know they made them like this. This is actually kind of cool."

She looked at Edward. He had an expression on his face that she had never seen before. "Are you okay?" She asked.

He swallowed hard. "Um. . ." He hesitated before he said, "Are you really going to wear those under that dress?"

She shrugged. "Maybe." He looked like he was having trouble breathing. Bella asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

He ran his fingers through his hair for what felt like the millionth time, and then he managed a curt nod.

"But, I don't know if I'm comfortable with the idea of wearing these yet. I think I'll try them under my pajamas first when I go to bed tonight."

Edward's eyes widened. "You mean under my t-shirt?"

"Oh," She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

Alice came bounding back to the room with Jasper following. "Are you ready, Bella?" Alice asked.

"Yeah." They gathered all the bags from the shopping excursion and walked to Alice's room.

Once they disappeared into Alice's room, Jasper said, "Are you alright, Edward?"

"What?" He tore away his eyes from the hallway. They never shut the door.

"You seem very tense."

"Do I?" He took a step forward, but stopped himself from going any further. "I-She-Underwear."

Jasper laughed. "Breathe."

Edward bent down and put his head between his knees and gulped in air.

At that moment, Rosalie had entered Alice's room and the door was shut behind her.

Edward straightened and felt all the muscles in his body relax. "That was insane."

Jasper shook his head. "This is only the first day. How are you going to handle the rest of the week?"

Edward shoved both fists in his pocket. "I don't know, Jasper." He wasn't sure if he could handle another lingerie show.

Jasper clapped him on the shoulder. "Think about it this way. Are you happy that she's so comfortable talking to you about her undergarment choices?"

"What do you think?" He said wearing a less than pleased expression on his face.

"I'm just saying, it could've been you behind those doors with her instead of our sisters."

Edward groaned. "That will never happen."

"Not with that attitude." Jasper clapped Edward again on the shoulder before he went downstairs to use Carlisle's computer since he was already at the hospital.

It was easy for Jasper to talk so optimistically. He was marrying Alice. Their relationship seemed to just fall into place and it was apparent that they were each other's soul mates.

Edward turned and walked to his desk. He opened his laptop. He did a few other tasks while he waited for his email program to start up. It did bother him that Bella was able to talk so freely to him about her underwear as if they were talking about a new sweater or something more benign. He realized that maybe the reason why she was able to talk to him like that was because she only saw him as Emmett's best friend. The Other Brother.

But Edward knew that she would never talk to Emmett about stuff like this which made him inwardly cringe. Bella was way too comfortable with him.

Edward wasn't going to last the whole week if this was just a sample of what was to come. He decided that he should try and maintain his distance from Bella. It was the only way he'd survive.


	7. Chapter 7: Nothing Out of the Ordinary

_A/N: Thank you again for the nominations for this story. Voting opened today, so if you're interested in voting for MBBF, I included a link in my profile._

_THANK YOU all for the insane reviews for chapter 6. It was one of my favorite chapters to write._

_Note: This chapter is close to 9,000 words. (I know some of you guys said you like the long chapters, and thank you for indulging me, but I still feel bad about it.)_

_Special thanks to spotzle and vjgm for their epic beta powers._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 7 "Nothing Out of the Ordinary"**

_You and I are like oil and water_

_And we've been trying, trying, trying_

_Ohhhh, to mix it up._

"Oil and Water" by Incubus

Bella sat at the dinner table taking in her surroundings. Edward sat across from her and Jasper to his right. To the right of Jasper was Esme which was the head of one end of the table. To Esme's right was Alice who sat on Bella's left. Carlisle sat on Bella's right which completed the other end of the table. Alice had taken Rosalie to the airport in the afternoon while Bella was at school. Esme wanted to keep things casual, so they were sitting at the table just off the kitchen.

Edward and Alice were recounting childhood memories for the benefit of Jasper. He listened with rapt attention. No doubt trying to imagine what Alice was like as a child.

Bella felt a slight tug in her heart at the way Alice and Edward exchanged stories. They teased each other, but never crossed any lines. They even gave each other good natured smiles whenever one zinged the other.

It was so different from the type of relationship she had with Emmett. Teasing between her and Emmett was not this warm, affectionate display. At times, it could be cutthroat and would usually lead into arguments. Sometimes, or maybe most times, Emmett didn't know that his words would smart for days. Later he'd acted like nothing happened. Bella learned early on that Emmett was not the type to be careful with his words.

At times she hated him for it, but now she couldn't help missing him desperately. Maybe it was because she felt like she was intruding. The Cullens always welcomed her into their home, but she never quite felt at ease.

It was obvious they all cared deeply for each other. It wasn't that they were overly affectionate. On the contrary, there were hardly any displays of physical affection. It was all in how they spoke to each other.

Coming from a home with two men who never talked about their feelings, it was quite an adjustment. She felt awkward and so out of place.

"Are you alright, Bella?"

She looked up from her plate to see that Jasper was looking at her along with everyone else at the table.

_Great,_ she thought.

She cleared her throat. "Yeah. I was just. . . I was thinking about Emmett."

Esme gave her a warm smile. "How is he?"

"He should be in Portland by now." She looked at her watch. "He said he'd call later tonight to check in."

Carlisle clarified, "He's in Portland for a conference?"

Bella nodded. "He takes being a park ranger very seriously."

"Does he enjoy his work?" Esme asked.

"Yeah. He'd probably do it for free."

"How long has been working for park services?" Jasper asked.

"Oh, pretty much since we moved out here," Bella moved around a piece of broccoli on her plate.

"And what about you, Bella?" Jasper asked.

Bella stilled her fork and looked up, "Hmm?"

Jasper continued, "The other night, when we were playing Scrabble, we never got a chance to hear you talk about what you've been up to."

Bella felt her cheeks burn and saw that Edward had shifted in his seat. She realized that she and Edward never talked about what she said to him that night. In fact, Edward acted like it never happened. A typical Edward response. She wanted to poke him with her fork, but Carlisle interrupted her thoughts.

"How's your Masters coming along?" Carlisle asked.

Bella cleared her throat. She realized that Charlie probably told him about it. "I'm almost done actually. I'm taking my last two classes right now. Finals are next week right before Alice's wedding."

Hoping to deflect the conversation from herself, she thought maybe they'd start talking about the wedding, but instead Jasper said, "What are you getting a Masters in?"

Bella hesitated before she said, "Communications."

Jasper's eyebrows shot up. "What area?"

"Social Interaction with an emphasis in nonverbal and interpersonal communication," Bella shifted in her spot because it felt like everyone's eyes were boring into her-especially Edward's.

Jasper's face lit up. "You might be able to help me with something."

"Me?"

Jasper sat up in his seat. "Right now I'm working on a product that needs a bit of image refinement. I'd like to get a female's perspective on it."

"Hey," Alice said in a tone of mock hurt.

Jasper gave her a warm smile. "I meant, someone with expertise in this area."

Alice returned Jasper's smile with one of her own. "I know. I think Bella will actually be really helpful. Are you talking about that online dating service?"

Bella had been taking a sip of her water and almost choked. "Online dating service?"

Jasper nodded. "I've been showing a test group the proposed ads and the female audience isn't buying in."

"I don't know how I could help." Bella had put down her glass, but kept a firm grip on it.

"Maybe if you could just take a look. A fresh pair of eyes is always good."

"Sure," Bella said. How was she going to get women to try this online dating service when her own love life was pretty much non-existent?

Bella agreed to look over Jasper's materials after dinner. The rest of the conversation centered around Alice's wedding.

Alice said, "Edward, would you mind going with Mom to check the final setting for the tables and they're also going to prepare a sample of the menu. I'd like you to be there for that too."

"Sure," he said.

Then she looked at Bella. "You have your final bridesmaid dress fitting on Thursday. My mom will go with you to make sure the dress looks good."

"Okay," Bella said.

Alice looked at Esme. "I wish I could be here for all of that."

Esme placed a hand on Alice's hand. "Everything will be fine. Just worry about wrapping things up at work."

Alice sighed.

Carlisle asked, "Have you guys decided on where you want to settle down?"

Alice said, "Dad!"

He smiled at his daughter. "I'm just saying, there's a really nice house opening up down the street."

Jasper let out a small laugh. "I'm happy wherever Alice is."

"Good answer," Esme said.

"Suck up," Edward muttered.

Carlisle gave Edward a warning look, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. He said, "Well, whatever you guys decide, let me know as soon as possible so I can get the ball rolling."

Alice said, "But Dad-"

Carlisle held up his hand. "All I'm offering is to help look at this point. It doesn't hurt to look."

Alice hesitated before she said, "I've narrowed it down to either here or San Francisco."

Bella noted the surprised look on everyone's faces.

Alice continued, "I like New York, but I don't want to start a family there."

Jasper reached across the table for Alice's hand and she took his.

"Get a room," Edward said in a teasing manner.

"Edward, maybe you should take some pointers from Jasper," Esme gave him a playful warning.

Edward let out a short breath and turned to face Jasper. He took Jasper's free hand and said, "I'm happy wherever you'll be."

"Don't worry, Edward. There will always be a spare room in our house for you."

"I don't think so. That spare room will become my walk in closet," Alice said.

Edward let go of Jasper's hand and placed his own hand over his heart. "We are bound by blood. You're going to let a pair of shoes come between us."

Alice pretended to consider his words and said, "Um, I'm afraid so."

"Well, it's good to know that I still have Mom and Dad."

Esme said, "Didn't you know? Alice's room is going to become my quilting room and your room is going to be a gym."

Edward looked at Carlisle, "A gym?"

Carlisle shrugged. "Whatever makes your mom happy."

"I can't believe my family is going to abandon me."

"Think of it as tough love," Esme said.

"What?" he asked.

"You can't live with your parents or your sister forever," Esme raised an eyebrow at him. Then she suddenly looked at Bella.

Bella shifted in her spot before she said, "You can always live with Emmett."

Everyone laughed.

A small smile threatened to spread on Edward's lips. He looked at Bella and said, "But wouldn't it get crowded?"

She shrugged. "I'd just move in with Alice."

This time he smiled and said, "But she's building a walk in closet where my room is supposed to be."

Alice said, "Well, if it's Bella, she can have her own room."

"Why does Bella get her own room?" Edward asked.

"I've always wanted a sister," Alice said with a triumphant smile.

Edward opened his mouth several times and Bella felt her face burn.

Esme said, "Edward can clean up the table so that he can have ample time to ponder the wisdom of his sister's insightful comment."

Everyone got up to leave the table except Bella; she began gathering the dirty dishes.

"Bella, you don't have to do that," Edward said.

"It's okay. I'm staying here a week. It's the least I could do." Bella brought some of the dishes to the sink.

Edward followed with more dirty dishes. "You're a guest. Guests don't help clean-up."

Bella turned on the faucet and started rinsing off the dishes. "I need to do something. Dinner was always my thing at home."

Edward took the rinsed off dishes from Bella and placed them in the dishwasher. "Does that mean you had dinner waiting for Emmett when he came home from work?"

She lifted one shoulder up and then down. "If I didn't have work or school in the evening, then yeah. I guess so."

"Emmett must be a kept man."

Bella laughed. "Hardly. And he made dinner when I couldn't, so it's not like it was just me."

"Yeah, but you do his laundry too."

Bella opened her mouth to contradict him, but she realized she couldn't.

"If Emmett wasn't your brother, I'd be a little envious."

"About what?"

"That-" Edward stopped himself. "I'm going to get the rest of the dishes." He placed the dish he had taken from Bella into the dishwasher and went to the kitchen table to get the rest.

This was the first conversation Bella had with Edward since she got back from school. After she'd tried on the clothes that Alice had bought her, it was already time for her to leave. Then she had an afternoon shift at the library and after that class in the evening. When she got back, Bella barely had time to put her stuff down when Esme said dinner was ready.

While she was at work, Bella thought about all the events that happened that morning. Waking up and finding Edward's hands on her, persuading him to come to the lake this weekend, and the last that later made her cringe was her discussion with him about her underwear.

At the time she didn't think much of it, but when she was re-shelving books at work, she realized that Edward might misunderstand and think she was making an attempt, however poor it was, at using her feminine wiles. She did not even talk about stuff like that with Emmett. The memory of holding up the pair of blue lace boy shorts in front of Edward's face made her wish that a tornado would take her away, so that she wouldn't do any more embarrassing things.

Jasper went upstairs and returned with his laptop and presentation case. Edward had told Bella he could handle the rest, so Bella joined Jasper in the family room where he was laying out prints and opening up his laptop.

They got into his work right away and Bella was glad for the distraction. It helped keep her mind off the fact that she'd made a fool of herself earlier. She was intrigued at the attention to detail that Jasper put into his presentation. It was thoughtful, yet concise. Her interest was piqued which added another point in Jasper's favor for making it all aesthetically pleasing.

Jasper proceeded to point out the problems he was faced with and they got into a discussion about how men and women perceive online dating services. Bella found Jasper's comments insightful and was worried that she wouldn't have anymore to add.

"I've changed and revised this ad so many times and it never seems quite right. The results after the test run are always the same. Women are extremely wary about this even after constant reassurances of quality."

Bella hesitated for a second before she said, "Well, when I hear the word online dating, as a woman, I associate many ideas with it, but finding my soul mate is not one of them."

By this time, Edward and Alice had joined them in the family room. Alice sat on the floor next to the large square leather ottoman that also doubled as a coffee table. She was looking at the presentation boards Jasper had spread out.

Alice nodded in agreement and said, "Bella's right. When I think of online dating, I think guys are there just to find one night stands or something along those lines."

Bella hesitated again because by now Edward was sitting next to her on the couch. She focused her thoughts and continued, "Privacy and quality of service are important, but I don't think that's what would draw women in."

Alice said thoughtfully, "If there was some way to assure the quality of the men who joined this service, then you'd have something there."

Edward let out a small laugh. "That's kind of a lofty expectation isn't it?"

"Actually, no." Jasper took his laptop and started typing. "I've been going about this the wrong way. If I get the guy's perspective and incorporated it, I think it would make a difference."

"But, you're not really going to use a guy that actually talks about wanting to find their soul mate and wanting to settle down, are you?" Bella asked.

"Why not?" Jasper asked without looking up from his lap top.

Alice said, "Too needy."

Jasper stopped typing. "Well, how can I make it not needy?"

"Well, he shouldn't come off as too strong," Bella said.

Alice nodded in agreement. "Something along the lines of wanting a commitment, but unsure if he can find the right one."

Bella turned to look at Alice. "Oh, and something about being hurt before or tired of the usual dating scene."

Alice sat up straighter. "And is a little reluctant, but the right person can change that."

Jasper was typing everything Alice and Bella said.

Then Jasper said, "Edward, you have anything to add?"

Edward shifted in his spot at being addressed for the first time during the conversation. "Me?"

"Yes." Alice said, "You are a guy."

"But, I thought you just wanted the woman's point-of-view."

Alice said, "Yeah, but is everything what we said believable?"

Edward shrugged.

Alice groaned and looked at Bella, "He's so clueless when it comes to these things. It's amazing he even had any dates in college."

"Alice," Edward warned.

Bella looked at Edward. "I was asking him about this the other day."

"What?" he asked.

Bella turned to Alice. "I said he was probably pretty popular with girls in college."

"Oh, he was," Alice moved to sit on top of the ottoman. "The girls went pretty wild when he showed up." Alice nudged Jasper on the knee who was still typing.

Jasper chuckled. "We'd get so many girls stopping by our room. I'm sure it was a record."

"Stop exaggerating," Edward said.

Bella couldn't help smiling. "I can believe it. It was the same way in high school."

Jasper said, "The first Valentine's Day he was there was a disaster."

Edward groaned.

Alice said, "Oh I remember that!"

"What happened?" Bella sat up in her seat and moved to the edge.

Alice leaned in closer to Bella. "He got a ton of chocolate and flowers."

Jasper muttered, "Among other things."

"You guys," Edward warned.

"Well, Jasper and I went out to dinner, but when Edward went back to the dorm room after class. . ."

"There was someone waiting for him," Jasper finished.

Bella turned to look at Edward with an arched eyebrow. "Really?"

Edward shifted in his spot. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

Alice laughed. "I'd say having a girl wait for you in your dorm with nothing on but a huge red bow is a pretty big deal."

"I didn't know she was going to do that!" Edward's tone was defensive.

Jasper shook his head. "Edward you must have had some idea."

"No." His tone was firm.

Bella inched closer to Edward. "What happened?"

Edward hesitated, "Nothing. I left before anything could happen."

"But who was she?" Bella pressed.

Edward let out a short breath. "She was an exchange student."

"Irina, if I remember correctly," Jasper said.

"We were in Dr. Pruisner's class together," Edward said.

Bella gave him an expectant look.

He struggled to get the rest out. "I helped her out. She came from Slovakia and she seemed to be struggling with the language."

Jasper snickered.

"Or at least I thought she was struggling," Edward rubbed the back of his neck.

"Irina was not only fluent in English, but also Japanese and Italian," Jasper added.

Alice said, "So, what did she look like, again?"

Edward said, "She was pretty."

Jasper said, "She was gorgeous."

Alice turned to Jasper. "Really?"

Jasper recognized her tone. He stopped typing and held up his hands. "That's what all the other guys thought."

Bella let out a small laugh. Then she turned to look at Edward again. "Well, what did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"She was practically naked in your dorm room. Nothing happened?"

He shook his head. "I told you, I left before anything could happen."

Bella's brow wrinkled. "And that's it?"

He nodded.

She thought for a minute before she said, "That was pretty anti-climatic."

Edward blinked several times. "What?"

"You didn't even get to first base?" she asked.

"Bella!" Alice said and laughed.

"I'm just saying. I would've been a little curious," she said.

Edward continued to stare at Bella with his mouth partly opened.

"I didn't know you were such a prude," Bella said.

Edward opened and closed his mouth several times. Jasper threw his head back and laughed.

Alice said, "So, if Edward actually got to first base, you'd be okay with that?"

"Well, yeah. I feel bad for Irina."

Edward said, "Why would you feel bad for her?"

"It probably took a lot of courage for her to do something like that. And you just walked out before she could even say anything."

Edward sat up in his spot. "How did I become the bad guy?"

Alice said, "You know what. If I had done something similar for Jasper, and he walked out-"

"I wouldn't walk out, Alice," Jasper said in a serious tone.

She giggled. "I know, but if you did, I'd be pretty pissed and humiliated."

Edward looked at everyone and wore a look of disbelief. He said, "I was protecting her virtue!"

"The least you could've done was kiss her and then tell her something like you couldn't let her do this because you don't feel that way about her," Bella said.

Edward opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Bella said, "At least that way, she could've walked away with some dignity." She turned to Jasper, "I bet she had a hard time after that."

Jasper thought for a minute, "Now that you mention it, she did keep to herself more."

"Well, yeah. If someone like Edward turns you down, then there must be something wrong, right?" Bella asked.

Edward was every girl's dream. To be rejected by him was beyond humiliation. A part of you was left wounded, raw, and exposed. She identified with Irina too much. Or maybe Irina reminded Bella of herself.

Suddenly the air felt thick and Bella regretted what she said.

She looked down at her hands in her lap. "What I meant was-"

"No, you're right."

Bella looked at Edward with a timid expression.

He continued, "I should've been more careful with her feelings." He hesitated before he said, "Next time random girls show up in my room wearing only a red bow, I'll make sure to make out with them before I send them on their way."

Bella laughed. "Good. You know you have a reputation to keep up."

"I would think that making out with random girls would bring it down."

She shrugged. "It's worked for me."

Edward's eyebrows jumped. "You make out with random people?"

Bella said, "Sure. You have to keep in practice."

Edward blinked several times.

Bella lifted a hand and continued, "Because you should be prepared for when it's time for the real thing."

Alice snickered.

Edward looked at Alice and then at Bella, trying to decide if Bella was serious.

Bella said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I've become pretty proficient."

A small smile tugged on the corner of Edward's mouth. "And you know this how?"

Bella looked him straight in the eyes. "There's a quiz afterwards."

Alice's shoulders were shaking and she put a hand over her mouth.

Bella turned to Jasper. "I think you'd probably refer to them as quality assurance surveys?"

At this, Alice burst out laughing.

Edward said, "How long have you been so. . ."

"Provocative?" Alice finished for him.

"I thought you were going to say vulgar," Bella said.

Jasper laughed.

"I'm sorry," Bella let out a sigh. "I'm Emmett's sister." Her tone suggested that she had said this many times before.

Alice and Edward looked at each other and laughed.

Jasper asked, "What's so funny?"

Edward said, "It's the standard Bella Swan Apology."

Jasper smiled and said, "You have a standard apology?"

Alice said, "With a brother like Emmett, it was inevitable that some of his. . . finer qualities would rub off on her."

Jasper gave Bella a sympathetic look.

Alice said, "I can't tell you the number of times when we were kids that Bella had to say that."

Bella slid down in her seat. "It wasn't that many times."

Alice said, "And other times she'd use it like a thinly veiled threat."

"I did not!"

Alice laughed and said, "Oh, are you going to deny that you didn't threaten Maria, Nettie, and Lucy-"

"What happened?" Edward asked.

Bella sat up in her spot. "Alice."

Alice smiled. "I thought you guys knew."

"Knew what?" He asked again.

Alice said, "Well, Maria, Nettie, and Lucy were really popular when we were in middle school."

Bella sat back and laid her head back. "Alice," she groaned.

Alice continued as if she did not hear Bella. "Everyone wanted to be friends with them and if you didn't go along with whatever they said, you'd be ostracized."

"Why are we even talking about this? It happened a long time ago. Who cares?" Bella asked.

Edward and Jasper each raised a hand.

Bella rolled her eyes then moved to stand up. "I'm going to bed."

"Hey, I had to relive the Irina experience, I think it's only fair that you sit here too," Edward said.

Bella let out a defeated sigh and sat back down in her seat.

Alice sat up and continued, "As I was saying, these girls terrorized the school. They wanted something, they got it. If you didn't do what they wanted, you'd pretty much be sitting alone at lunch for the rest of the year."

"Come on, Alice. It wasn't that dramatic," Bella said.

"It was!" Alice said. "You just never really cared about that kind of stuff."

"Because it was stupid. This is why I hated middle school. Girls always made such a big deal out of things."

Alice held up her hand. "Anyway, it's true. Bella didn't care about stuff like that. Not until Maria, Nettie, and Lucy started focusing their attention on Angela."

"Angela? Isn't she one of your friends, Bella?" Edward asked.

Alice answered for Bella. "Yes, and at first it was really dumb stuff like copying homework and forging notes. Then they started asking Angela to start doing stuff like giving answers to tests and writing essays."

"Why did Angela go along with it?" Jasper asked.

"She was scared," Alice said.

"So what happened?" Edward asked.

"Well, Maria was kind of like the den mother. She and Bella. . . well, let's say they didn't play well together."

Bella let out a loud snort.

"Bella never went along with whatever Maria and her friends did," Alice said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Edward said with a smirk.

Alice continued, "Well, Bella had this plan to get back at her."

"What did you do to her?" Edward asked.

Bella squared her shoulders and said, "I didn't do anything."

Edward raised an eyebrow at her.

After a moment, Bella said, "I may have. . . gotten her in trouble with our English teacher for an essay that. . ." she muttered the rest of her sentence that was inaudible to everyone.

Edward inched closer to Bella. "What did you say?"

Bella looked up to the ceiling and let out a sigh. "She had asked Angela to write an essay for her on a book that we were supposed to read. It was ridiculous because not only was Angela supposed to write her own essay, but another one for Maria?" Bella shook her head. "So, I wrote it instead of Angela."

Alice howled with laughter.

"I take it the essay wasn't what it was supposed to be," Jasper said.

Bella had a sheepish smile on her face.

After Alice recovered, she said, "Well, she wrote the beginning of the essay so that it sounded like it had to do with the book, so when Maria read it, it read like a normal paper and that's all she read. But the rest of it. . ." She looked at Bella before she continued, "it was supposed to be about _A Wrinkle in Time_ and Bella wrote about how Hansen was the best rock band ever."

"Wait, is that that Mmm-bop group?" Jasper asked.

Alice nodded while at the same time covering her mouth.

Edward smiled and said, "So, she got caught?"

Bella shook her head and smiled for the first time since they started talking about this. "She couldn't admit that she didn't write it. So, instead, she told the teacher that she didn't understand the assignment and had to stay after school for a week to get tutoring to rewrite it."

Jasper and Edward both winced.

Edward said, "And you had to apologize to her after that?"

Bella shook her head. "That was just the beginning."

Alice went on to describe how things had become a battle between Maria and Bella. Bella was not fazed by Maria's antics simply because she did not care if she was not popular which of course swayed more people to take Bella's side. Maria ended up with a small band of followers, but they were still spiteful as ever.

"Where were me and Emmett while all this was happening?" Edward asked.

Alice said, "You guys had started high school."

"Why didn't you tell either of us about it?" he asked.

Alice gave him a look of disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"What?" Edward asked.

Bella said, "How lame would that be if we each asked our brothers for help?"

Edward opened his mouth, but Jasper said, "It's a girl thing Edward. I wouldn't even try to understand."

Alice smiled and said, "Actually, you helped in a way."

Edward said, "How?"

"Well, Maria got it in her head that she would get back at Bella once and for all by. . . going after you," Alice said.

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Me?"

Bella shrugged. "I know. Weird, huh?"

"That doesn't make any sense," Edward said with a look of confusion.

"I didn't get it either. I thought she was going to get back at me by taking pictures of me while I was changing in the locker room or something like that," Bella said.

"How is that better?" Edward said in a shocked voice.

"It's not. I just didn't expect her to go after you," Bella said.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair. "But, I don't even remember her."

Alice said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Of course you don't, Edward."

"What happened?" Edward asked.

"It was actually really simple," Alice said. "Bella and I went to a party and Maria and her friends were there. She was totally bragging about how she had invited you to the party and that you guys had gone on a few dates."

"What? We never-"

Alice said, "I know. She was pretty desperate at that point. I guess, in her desperation to get back at Bella, she forgot that I was your sister."

"Okay," Edward said.

Alice continued, "I thought it would be funny if you actually did show up, so I called you."

Edward thought for a minute. "I don't remember."

Alice rolled her eyes. "No, I wouldn't expect you to. The story I told you was that Bella wasn't feeling good and I needed help bringing her home." A corner of Alice's mouth pulled up. "I also said not to tell Emmett."

Edward's eyes widened in recognition. "I thought maybe you guys might've been drinking."

Alice said, "Edward, we were in middle school! Of course not!"

"I know. I should've realized you were prone to dramatics." He looked at Jasper, "when I got there, Bella was fine." Edward looked back at Alice, "In fact, I was a little annoyed that you made me come out there for you guys. I thought something was really wrong."

Bella winced and said, "Sorry."

Edward looked at her and his expression softened. "It's not a big deal now. I mean, it wasn't even a big deal back then either, but it just seemed. . . I don't know. Weird. You guys didn't usually act like that. But how did that help things with Maria?"

Bella said, "Well, when you came, you practically ignored her. After that, everyone knew she was such a liar."

Alice said, "And you were so focused on Bella too."

Bella felt her cheeks burn.

"I was?" Edward shifted in his seat.

Alice bounced in her place. "To everyone else it looked like you guys were going out."

Jasper laughed.

Edward and Bella shifted in their spots.

Alice turned to Jasper. "When he got to the party, Edward looked for Bella right way. He walked right past Maria."

Jasper said, "Ouch."

"I know. Then when he found Bella, he put both of his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes and asked if she was okay," Alice copied the gesture on Jasper.

Bella said in a warning tone, "Alice."

Jasper leaned closer to Alice. "Then what happened?"

"Well, Bella said she was fine and Edward brushed away some of her hair covering her face," Alice brushed away Jasper's hair on his forehead to emphasis her point, "to make sure she was really okay and said, 'we're going home.' "

Jasper's eyebrows shot up.

"That didn't happen." Edward's brow wrinkled and then he looked at Bella. "Did it?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't remember," she lied. She remembered it vividly because everyone at the party was watching them and she hated being the center of attention.

"Anyway," Alice turned away from Jasper and said, "after that, there was no doubt that Bella was not to be messed with."

Alice looked at Jasper and gave him a small smile. "Everyone thought they were totally in love."

Jasper caught the subtle note of mischief in Alice's expression and decided to go along with it. With genuine sincerity, he said, "Their performance must've been quite convincing."

Alice restrained her smile. _I have the best fiance, _she thought. Then she nodded and said, "I remember all the girls saying that Bella was so lucky that Edward was obviously in love with her."

Edward shifted in his seat.

Bella cleared her throat and said, "I didn't think it would've been that easy to shake off Maria."

"So, that was it?" Edward asked, relieved to change the subject.

Alice and Bella looked at each other.

"What happened next?" Jasper asked.

Alice said, "Well, there was a bit of a confrontation the next day at school."

Bella slid back down in her seat.

Since Bella wasn't going to elaborate, Alice said, "Maria confronted Bella in front of the whole school about stealing Edward away and," she cleared her throat, "what Bella did to steal him from her."

Edward looked at Bella with a raised eyebrow. "What did she say?"

Bella looked at her hands in her lap. "I don't really remember."

Alice sighed in frustration. "Bella, she practically called you a slut and said you weren't a virgin."

Edward sat up in his seat. "What the-"

Jasper said, "Whoa. That's harsh."

"I know," Alice said. "At that point Maria was totally insane."

Edward tipped his head to look at Bella closer. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

Bella licked her lips and shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal because it wasn't true."

"Yeah, but I'm sure it hurt your feelings," Edward reached out and brushed her hair back from her shoulder. She had been looking down and her hair was blocking her face.

"Well, yeah. But then I got pissed." Bella looked up at Edward. "She was saying stuff like you'd get tired of me and that eventually you'd come back to her."

Edward's brow wrinkled. "What?"

"I know. She was barking mad. Maria just wanted to keep up the appearance that she had something with you." Bella rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I told her off and that was it."

Alice practically leapt off her seat. "No way! You did more than that. You totally put her in her place."

Bella gave her a pleading look. "Alice."

Edward said, "You didn't. . . did you beat the crap out of her?"

Bella let out a small laugh. "No!"

"Better than that." Alice moved so that she was sitting in front of Bella and Edward on the ottoman. "She told Maria that it was none of her business what she did with you."

Bella slipped further down in her spot. Any further, she'd slip off the couch.

Alice said, "She also told Maria that even in her best dreams, Edward was better than that. It'd be the closest she'd ever get to him. Then Maria said that all she needed was a chance and she'd have Edward wrapped around her finger."

Jasper wore a stunned expression. "Gees. Who needs the _CW_ when you have stuff like this?"

Edward gave Alice and Bella a look of disbelief. "Girls are crazy."

Bella chuckled.

Alice sat at the edge of her seat. "After that comment, Bella went balls out and took out her cell phone and called you."

Edward said, "She did?"

Alice nodded. " She had it on speaker phone. She told you that she had a friend Maria who wanted to ask you something. And Maria got on the phone and asked you if you'd be interested in hanging out with her sometime."

Edward thought for a minute. Then he said, "What did I say to her?"

"You told her that you were already with Bella." Alice's tone was full of triumph and she wore a smug expression.

Bella licked her lips again. She snuck a glance at Edward who still wore a confused expression.

Alice continued, "Maria tried making plans with you for another time, but then you said that you couldn't because you were going to stay with Bella until she was done with you."

Edward's eyes widened in recognition again. "Bella told me that this girl Maria really wanted me to tutor her in Algebra and that she'd say anything to get me to tutor her."

Alice howled with laughter.

Jasper looked at Bella in awe. "You are an evil genius."

Alice said, "That's how you pulled it off?"

Edward said, "She told me about that the day before."

They all looked at Bella expectantly. After a moment, she said, "Calling Edward was my last resort. I didn't expect to have to do it, but I also didn't want to drag things out. I was getting annoyed."

Edward had a small smile on his face. "Went straight for the jugular, huh?"

Bella shrugged. "Well, I had to do something or else you'd end up with a stalker."

"It's nice to know you had my best interest at heart." Edward smiled. "And I suppose putting Maria in her place had some small part in it, too."

She gave him a sheepish smile.

Alice laughed and said, "After that, there was no doubt about how you guys felt about each other. Everyone thought you two were the perfect match."

Bella licked her lips. "Alice, cut it out. It wasn't like that."

Alice shrugged. "I'm just saying what people said back then." Then she gave them both a knowing smile. "Besides, that wasn't real, right? And no one got hurt. Well, no one who didn't deserve it."

"Alice!" Bella said in tone of admonishment.

They all talked for a few minutes more before Jasper said he had to turn in because of his flight in the morning.

"I should turn in, too. My flight's around the same time as Jasper's," Alice said.

Jasper said, "You can stay here and finish catching up."

Bella said, "No, please. I think Alice needs her rest."

"Don't worry. I won't be spilling anymore secrets." She gave Bella a mischievous smile.

Jasper pulled Alice by the hand. They said goodnight and walked upstairs to Alice's room.

After a moment, Edward said, "I should turn in too."

He hesitated before she said, "Is there anything you need before I go upstairs?"

"Actually, Rosalie told me that the TV in the guest room wasn't working," she said.

"Oh, let me take a look at it before I go to bed," Edward stood up and walked toward the guest room.

Bella said, "You don't have to check it right now. It's not important."

Edward said over his shoulder, "It won't take a minute."

Bella followed him to the guest room. Edward flipped on the switch and walked over to the flat screen television mounted on the wall. He picked up the remote that was on top of the dresser. When he pressed the power button, all that came up was a blue screen. He fiddled with the control and the blue screen disappeared and the theme song for _Sports Center _drifted into the room.

Edward took a few steps back and sat on the full size bed. Bella sat next to him.

Edward was scanning the ticker tape that flashed across the screen when he said, "Did Emmett ever call you?"

"No," Bella said. "But, I haven't checked my cell." She pulled it out of her back pocket. "Oops. I forgot to turn it back on after dinner." She pressed the power button and a minute later she saw that she had three missed calls all from Emmett. "He called a few times. I should-"

Before Bella could finish her sentence, the song "Prince Ali" from the movie _Aladdin _played.

Edward laughed. "That's not Emmett's ring tone, is it?"

Bella smiled and nodded. "Yes, but he doesn't know."

Bella answered the phone. "Hi Emmett."

He said, "Are you with Edward?"

"Yes," she said.

"Put me on speaker phone."

"Why?" she asked in a suspicious tone.

"I was going to ask both of you guys something, so I might as well say it once."

"Okay. Hold on." Bella pressed the speaker phone button. "You're on speaker phone now, Emmett."

"Edward, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"So, have you guys been able to keep your hands off each other since Bella's been there?"

Edward sat up straight. "Emmett-"

Bella held up her hand. "You know you interrupted a really hot make-out session."

Edward looked at her with an alarmed expression.

"Yeah, right," Emmett said, but Bella noted the slight tone of discomfort in his voice.

"You have the worse timing. I had just taken his shirt off and he was about to undo my-"

"Take me off speaker phone!"

Bella laughed and pressed the button and held her phone up to her ear. "What?" Bella wore a smug expression, but whatever Emmett said the expression disappeared. She said, "Fine." She held out the phone to Edward.

Edward hesitated before he said, "Hello?"

"Is she serious?" Emmett asked.

Edward shot Bella a look before he answered. "No. She's just messing with you."

"Gees. She takes it too far sometimes."

"Well, you provoked that."

"Whatever."

Not wanting to be caught in the middle of this argument, Edward changed the subject. "How's Portland?"

"So far it's been really nice."

Bella said, "Ask him if he's had any visitors."

"Did you hear that?" Edward asked.

"Yeah. And ask her what visitors?"

Edward looked at Bella. "He's asking 'what visitors'?"

Bella shrugged. "No one."

"She said-"

"I heard her."

Edward raised an eyebrow at her.

Bella just shrugged again.

Edward and Emmett continued having a conversation about the sports highlights since they were both watching _Sports Center_. Bella laid back on the bed on her elbows while she watched and listened to the conversation. From what she could gather, they were talking about what a disappointment the Mariner's were this season. Now that that the lead story was done, they started talking about stats and trades.

Bella threw back her head and groaned. "Can we change the channel now?"

Edward passed the remote to her while still holding Bella's cell to his ear. Bella took the remote and surfed around.

She sat up. "Oh. _Transformers."_

"Emmett's asking what channel," Edward said.

Bella checked and told him. Edward relayed the information back.

After a moment, Edward was listening to Emmett and then said, "No, I haven't seen this."

Both Bella and Emmett said, "What?"

They both talked at the same time and Edward held up his hand. Then he put Emmett back on speaker phone.

Emmett said, "How could you not have seen this movie?"

Edward shrugged and said, "I just never got a chance."

"You need to check out Megan Fox," he said.

Bella rolled her eyes and laid back on her elbows again. "He had a serious crush on her for the longest time."

Edward smiled and laid back on his elbows too. He set Bella's phone in between them.

Just then, the screen showed Megan Fox. Her arms were stretched upward on a raised car hood, revealing the outline of her shapely figure and exposed mid-rift.

Emmett said, "Never gets old."

Edward blinked several times. "She's. . . healthy."

Bella laughed as Emmett said, "Dude, she's hot."

Edward smiled.

"It's okay, Edward. You can be a guy," Bella said.

"I am a guy," he said in a mildly defensive tone.

"I know. I meant it's okay if you think she's hot, too," she said.

"Yeah, but. . . she's not the type you'd bring home to meet your mom," Edward said.

"No, she's the type you just bring home period," Emmett said.

Bella rolled her eyes.

Edward had a shocked look on his face. "Does he talk like this to you a lot?"

Bella muttered. "All the time."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head and smiled. "It's okay."

"What?" Emmett asked totally oblivious to their conversation.

Bella continued as if she didn't hear him. "But I have to admit that I've learned a lot about the male psyche from Emmett."

Edward said, "Like what?"

"Well, like guys are totally visual. That actress evokes a physical response in guys because of the way she looks. She doesn't have to say anything to capture your interest. In fact, I think it took a couple of viewings for Emmett to realize that she had lines in the movie."

"Hey," Emmett said in an offended tone.

Edward let out a small laugh.

"Tell him your hot list, Bella," Emmett said in an attempt to get back at her for the last comment.

Bella huffed and said, "No."

Edward shifted so he faced Bella. "What's a hot list?"

"People who are hot," Emmett said.

Edward smiled. "Who's on your hot list, Bella?"

Bella hesitated before she said, "Which one? The guys? Or the girls?"

Edward's eyes widened. "Why do you have a girls hot list?"

"I'm sorry." She let out a long sigh. "I'm Emmett's sister."

Edward laughed. Then he said, "Girls."

Bella cringed then she said, "Kate Beckinsale and Katherine Heigel."

Emmett said, "Kate Beckinsale was in those vampire movies, right? Yeah, she's hot. Whose Katherine Heigel?"

Bella said, "She was in _27 Dresses_."

"Was that a chick movie?" Emmett asked.

Bella rolled her eyes. "She was also in _Knocked Up."_

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, she's hot. Well done, Bella."

Edward said, "You actually do this with Emmett?"

"If I don't, he gets really annoying."

"Okay, Edward. Your turn," he said.

"I don't have one."

"Come on."

"I don't."

Bella looked at Edward. "You don't because you don't want to tell us or you don't because you really don't have one."

"I really don't have one," Edward said. "Whose on yours, Emmett?"

Emmett said, "Gweneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, and Angelina Jolie."

"Why am I not surprised?" Bella said.

"Wait, how do you pick people to be on your hot list?" Edward asked.

Emmett said, "In the very least, you'd want to make out with them."

Edward considered it for a moment.

Bella had a small smile at the corner of her lips. "I bet I can guess."

Edward looked at Bella, waiting for her to continue.

She said, "Reese Witherspoon?"

"That's a good one," Emmett said.

Edward shook his head, but realizing Emmett wouldn't be able to see, he said, "No."

Bella said, "Cameron Diaz?"

"No."

"Scarlett Johannson."

"Aw. That's a good one," Emmett said.

Edward said, "Who's that?"

"Are you serious?" Bella asked.

"She was in that movie with Bill Murray," Emmett said.

Edward thought about it. "No."

"Nicole Kidman?"

"No."

After a minute, Bella said, "Edward, are you. . . gay?"

A roar came from the phone.

Edward sat up. "What?"

"I mean, if you are, it's okay," She said with genuine sincerity.

"I'm not gay." Edward's tone was firm.

"You don't have to-"

"Bella, I'm not gay." He had an intense expression in his eyes that warned her not to question him about this anymore.

She raised her hands. "Alright."

"Just because I'm not attracted to any of those women, doesn't mean I'm gay."

"But they were all gorgeous women," Emmett said.

"Sure, if they're your type," Edward said.

"Then what's your type?" Emmett asked.

Edward hesitated before he said, "I like brunettes."

Emmett chuckled.

Bella blinked several times. She had no idea he preferred brunettes. The only reason she threw out blonde actresses is because he had gone out with Rosalie, so she assumed that she was his type. It never occurred to her that he wasn't attracted to her at all.

Bella picked up her phone. "I think we've had enough of this game, Emmett. Good night."

"No, wait-"

"Night, Emmett," Edward said.

"Hey!" Emmett protested.

Bella pressed the end call button on her phone. Then she said, "I'm sorry about that."

Edward laid back down on his elbows. "It's alright."

Bella reached over to put her phone back on the nightstand and then pulled a pillow down and tucked it under her head. "He can be really annoying sometimes."

"I think he's just being Emmett."

"Exactly."

"It wasn't that bad," he said and pulled a pillow down under his head as well.

"Well, it's probably good that you weren't here for the last seven years, so you didn't have to put up with Emmett's annoying behavior," Bella said. Immediately, she regretted making the comment. She hadn't meant to bring that up. "I'm sorry."

He looked over at her. "Why?"

She let out a short breath. "I'm sorry for yelling at you the other night. About staying here."

He looked at the television screen. "Don't worry about it."

"No, I was just. . . I was a little stressed about the situation at the time. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"It's okay." He hesitated before he said, "I never meant to hurt you."

Bella stopped watching television a long time ago. She was looking up at the ceiling. "What happened? Why did you leave?" In a low voice, Bella said, "Were you mad at me?"

Edward turned on his side to face her again. "No, I wasn't mad at you. I left because. . ." He flipped on his back. "I can't explain it right now, but I left because I needed a change. I'm sorry that I hurt you."

Bella let out a long sigh. "It was a big change."

"Yeah."

They laid side by side next to each other. The television was on low, but neither was watching. They were both staring up at the ceiling.

After a moment, Edward said in a low voice, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Bella said.

He took her hand and held it. Bella moved so that her head rested on his shoulder. Edward pressed a button on the remote and the television went off.

They laid next to each other in companionable silence. A few minutes later, Edward said, "Bella, I should go back to my room."

She had dozed off. When she heard Edward say he was going back to his room, she woke up and said, "Can you stay just a little longer? Until I fall asleep?"

"Alright. Hold on a minute." Edward got up from the bed to turn off the overhead light and returned to the bed. Bella took off her shoes and sweater. When Edward had returned to the bed, Bella had curled up next to him again, but this time she settled her head on his chest. She brought her hand up so it rested near her face. Edward was taken by surprise by Bella's actions, but he settled in and wrapped an arm around her. Edward hesitated before he took her hand in his own.

She let out a long sigh before she said, "Good night."

"Night, Bella."

He laid quietly in the darkness with her for a while, listening to her breathe. He patiently waited for her breathing to become even, signaling she was finally asleep. He had planned to leave when he was sure that she was asleep, but he could not help falling asleep himself because the exquisite warmth of Bella's body next to his had caused him to lose himself in blissful dreams where falling asleep with Bella in his arms was nothing out of the ordinary.


	8. Chapter 8: Worth Fighting For

_A/N: There are so many of you who have been leaving such thoughtful reviews. I know I force a lot of stuff on you guys with these long chapters, so it's a lot to take in. It's so nice to hear which parts of the story you're enjoying. And for those of you who discovered this story recently and stayed up until 4 in the morning catching up (there are several of you), you are effing amazing. Thank you all so much for giving my story a chance. _

_Much love to spotzle and vjgm for their super twin beta powers._

_Note: This chapter is +10,000 words. I know. What a surprise, right? ;)_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 8 "Worth Fighting For"**

_You chew me up_

_And spit me out_

_enjoy the taste_

_I leave in your mouth_

_You look at me_

_I look at you_

_Neither of us know what to do._

- "Shiver" by Maroon 5

Bella flipped on her back and stretched. Then she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up. She was alone. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep with Edward. She was disappointed that he wasn't there when she woke up, but she also remembered that she asked Edward to stay until she fell asleep. She figured once his obligation was met, he went back to his room.

She could not help feeling a little miffed, but quickly brushed off the feeling. It was pointless to be upset about it especially since they didn't have that kind of relationship.

Still, she also couldn't help feeling better because of their conversation last night. He'd missed her when he was gone. The idea brought a grin to her face while she walked to the bathroom for the guest room. She'd never allowed herself to hope that he'd even thought about her while he was away let alone miss her. It was a revelation that she still had a hard time believing.

It had seemed so easy for Edward to leave. Now, it would seem that maybe it wasn't. He said that he left because he needed a change. The explanation was not very informative, but Bella was relieved that he didn't leave because of something she did. There was a part of her that readily accepted this excuse and wanted to pick things up with Edward right where they had left off.

But the other part, the larger part of herself, was still reluctant to accept Edward's explanation so easily. Why did his need for a change include completely ignoring her for seven years? Why did his new lifestyle include cutting her out of his life completely? Bella's head hurt from all the possible answers to those hard questions.

Her mood had diminished considerably after she showered and changed. The reality of her relationship with Edward was that on the surface, things between them were fine, but Bella was afraid that their relationship would never scratch down past the surface. She wanted more than just friendly banter and reliving childhood memories.

Bella _wanted_ Edward.

Deep down, she realized that whatever she had with Edward would never evolve into something more than a brother-sister type of relationship. Edward seemed perfectly fine with how things were between them right now and that fact smarted.

She loved Edward. Her feelings for him had always been there, like the reflex to take in air to live. It wasn't something that she had to figure out or work toward. Her ability to love Edward was an innate ability that she couldn't stop even if she tried. The idea of not loving Edward was incomprehensible.

It had always been Emmett and his best friend Edward. For a time, because Emmett and Edward were always together, Charlie had taken to calling Edward the other brother.

Then one day, she saw Edward in a different light. She didn't see him as the other brother anymore. He had become Edward, my brother's best friend.

She remembered the moment when she saw Edward in this new light. It was during her last year of middle school, and her brother and Edward had already started high school. The incident with Maria had triggered it, but what cemented the fact that she was irrevocably in love with Edward was when he went to his first formal homecoming dance.

He and Emmett had spent a lot of time agonizing over who they would take. Emmett ended up taking Lauren Mallory which was not a surprise, and Edward had asked a new student, Gianna. She was of Italian descent, but was originally from California. Bella still flinched at the memory. She was a goddess with flowing dark hair and a warm complexion which probably would've been the conventional olive tone if she hadn't had gotten so much sun in California. Apparently, she caused quite a stir when she arrived at Forks High and had immediately gravitated toward Edward.

From the details that Bella desperately gathered from Alice's offhand remarks, Edward was very taken with her and she with him. They had gone out several times and talked on the phone at all hours of the night. At the time, Bella was disturbed by it, but she didn't understand why she felt that way. She'd just wanted Edward to be happy.

It wasn't until the night of the homecoming dance that she realized what had changed. Bella had gone over the Cullens' house. Emmett and Edward's dates were coming over to the house for pictures. Alice was excited to see them all dressed up. Bella actually did not really pay much attention to all the excitement that went into the preparation. She was just there to see her brother and his best friend go off to a high school dance.

When Lauren and Gianna arrived, Esme and Alice went nuts over their evening gowns and snapped up pictures. Bella had hung back, sitting on the steps of the staircase listening to all the commotion over the dresses.

When Emmett and Edward heard what was going on, they made their entrance by climbing down the stairs. Emmett was always one for dramatics. The girls waited for their arrival in the living room.

However, when they were making their way down the stairs, Bella nearly fell over on the step she was sitting on when she saw Edward. She had never seen him in a tux before and it took her completely off guard. Another feeling Bella was unfamiliar with resurfaced. She didn't know what it was, but suddenly she wished that all his effort to look so devastatingly handsome was for her and not someone else.

When he saw her expression, he became self conscious and asked if he looked alright. It took her a moment before she croaked out a yes. He gave her a crooked smile then walked away from her and into the living room to meet his date.

Bella followed behind him, but hung out in the doorway. When Edward joined Gianna, they looked at each other and something passed between them. She couldn't see Edward's expression, but she saw that Gianna's cheeks had turned pink. There wasn't any time to dwell on what happened because Esme was gathering them all for a group picture.

She wanted to turn away, but Bella could not stop looking at Edward, who was looking at Gianna. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes from her. Bella wanted him to look at her that way. When Esme was done taking pictures, they all got ready to leave. When Edward thought no one was looking, he kissed Gianna.

It was a brief, innocent kiss, but it was enough for Bella to feel a tug inside and her eyes began to water.

She was quick to disappear into the downstairs bathroom before anyone could see her. She was relieved that they left for the dance right away, hoping that they wouldn't expect her to see them off.

Alice came looking for her and when she found Bella, she asked what was the matter and Bella told her she wasn't feeling well. They went up to Alice's room and she was happy to wait on Bella, hoping to make her feel better.

Gianna only stayed for that year and her family moved again. Her father's job required her family to move often and this time they were moving to Maine.

It was the most difficult year she had to suffer through. It was almost as hard as the time when their parents got a divorce and their mother, Renee, moved to Arizona. Bella was eight at the time, but she had Emmett and Edward to help her get through that.

But this pain was different. Bella was forced to watch, day in and day out, Gianna hold Edward's hand, Gianna kiss Edward, Gianna making Edward smile, and all the time wanting it to be her. Edward seemed really affected by Gianna's move. Bella felt bad that he was suffering, but immensely relieved that Gianna was far, far away.

The voices from the other room snapped Bella out of her reverie. She checked herself one last time in the mirror before joining everyone else in the kitchen for breakfast. Since she had to work later, she wore her dark jeans and a white tank top, but paired it with the sheer white collared top she wore after the salon trip. It was a little dressier than the usual t-shirt she wore to work, but she really liked it and wanted to have another opportunity to wear it again.

When she walked in to the kitchen, she was surprised by all the activity going on. Normally, mornings at the Cullens' were calm and everyone sat down together to enjoy breakfast. Instead, Alice and Jasper were sitting at the kitchen table. Alice was bent in front of Jasper's laptop, wearing an uncharacteristically stressed expression on her face while Jasper had a hand on her back, trying to soothe her. Esme was pacing back and forth in the family room on the phone. Carlisle was standing in the doorway of the French door that lead out to the patio, talking on his cell phone. Edward was standing in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal.

She decided to join Edward who put the bowl down when she approached.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning." She watched the frenzy of activity. "Is everything alright?"

Edward went to one of the cupboards to get a bowl for Bella and placed it on the counter. Then he took a spoon out from a drawer and placed it in the bowl. He said, "My mom is trying to catch a flight out to Montreal today."

Bella poured out some cereal and was about to add milk, but stopped abruptly when she heard what Edward had said. "I didn't know she had plans to go to Montreal."

Edward stopped in between bites and said, "Aunt Tanya, my dad's sister, is pregnant and she's gone into labor. A month early."

"Oh no. Is she going to be okay?"

Edward let out a short breath. "My dad thinks she will be, but my Aunt is by herself. My Uncle William is away on a business trip. She's really worried right now."

"Who? Your Aunt or your Mom?"

Edward let out a short laugh. "Both."

"Is your dad going to fly out with your mom?" She asked.

"He can't go today. Too much going on at the hospital to leave on such short notice. He's trying to catch a flight out either tomorrow or Thursday."

"What's Alice doing?"

"She's looking for a later flight. Since my Mom is planning to fly out to be with my Aunt today, she'll miss all the wedding stuff she was supposed to be here for. So, Alice is going to try to fly out tomorrow after it's all done. But, she's worried about work."

Bella left her bowl of cereal untouched on the counter and went over to Alice. She was talking with Jasper.

"I know I've got things to take care of at work, but our wedding is more important to me right now," Alice said.

"I know, but I'm sure Edward can handle things," Jasper said.

She gave Jasper a doubtful look.

Bella sat in the empty chair next to Alice. "Is there some way I can help?"

Alice looked up at Bella. "I don't know. Today, my mom was supposed to approve the flower arrangements and tomorrow she was also supposed to approve the dinner menu and the cake." She looked at Jasper and then back at Bella before she said, "It's too much to ask if you could-"

Bella placed a hand on Alice's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll be happy to help."

Alice's eyes widened. "Really? Because I know you don't care about stuff like this and if Rose was here, she'd have no problem-"

Bella smiled and said, "It's okay, Alice. If it'll help you, I'm more than willing to brave all of that for you."

Alice threw her arms around Bella's neck. "Thank you so much."

Bella returned the hug and after a moment, she said, "Now, what have I gotten myself into?"

Edward joined them at the table, but his cell phone went off. He excused himself to answer it.

Alice held out her hand and Jasper passed a portfolio to her. Alice took it and placed it in front of Bella then turned the protected pages to a beautiful flower arrangement of white roses.

"This is similar to what I wanted for my bouquet and the centerpieces for the reception." She turned to the next page. "This is what I want for the ceremony."

Bella examined the pictures, flipping back and forth through the pages. "So, what am I supposed to do?"

Alice flipped to another page which was filled with another floral arrangement, but instead of white roses, it was another white flower, but Bella didn't know what kind it was.

"They're supposed to do a test bouquet with just the white roses, then one with the white roses mixed in with the gardenias. My mom was supposed to pick one arrangement."

Bella's eyes widened. "So, you want me to pick one?"

Alice smiled and said, "Actually, you can take pictures of the bouquets and send them to me. I'll tell you which one I like better."

Bella hesitated before she said, "This seems like something you would've taken care of a long time ago."

Alice let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes, but the florist I'm using is in high demand and is very particular about these things. He wanted to wait a couple of weeks before the wedding to do a test bouquet to guarantee that the flowers would be in season, so hence look its best." Alice rolled her eyes.

"And the food?"

"That's not until tomorrow. And it was the only day I could get."

Bella took in a deep breath and let it out. Then she said, "So, I can just take pictures and send them to you and that's okay?"

"Well, I also want you to really take a look at things. And with the food, to try it and let me know if it's good or not." She pointed at her portfolio. "The pictures of the flowers look beautiful and the menu sounds good on paper, but I just want to be sure."

Bella nodded.

Jasper said, "Maybe Bella should have you on the phone while she's doing all this."

Bella smiled, but Alice said, "That's a good idea."

Jasper held up his hands. "I was kidding."

"No, that will be perfect because I'll get her first impressions. She won't have time to edit her opinions," Alice said.

Jasper gave Bella an apologetic look.

Bella said, "That's fine. It's probably better that way. I think Alice is right."

Before Alice could respond, Edward rejoined them at the table. He said, "Bella, Rosalie wants to talk to you. I gave her your number."

"Oh," Bella said. And right on cue, her cell phone rang.

"Hello," she said.

"Bella? Did Edward tell you that I'd be calling?" Rosalie asked.

"He just told me. Is everything okay? Is Emmett okay?" She stood up and walked away from the table.

"Emmett? I actually haven't seen him yet." She plowed through and said, "I'm actually calling you about something else. I ran this by Edward and he said that I should talk to you about it."

"What did you want to ask?"

She heard Rosalie take in a breath before she said, "One of my clients is in dire need of a mechanic."

Bella felt her stomach sink.

"This client's usual mechanic is out of town and is desperate to find someone, so I was wondering if it would be possible to. . ."

"You want me to talk to Jacob?"

"I wouldn't ask if it was unavoidable."

"I take it that your client's car is one of those old cars."

"Actually, it's a new car. It's a current model Aston Martin V12."

Bella didn't say anything. Rosalie could have told her it was a Camry and it would mean the same thing.

Rosalie continued, "He's very particular about it and doesn't want just anyone handling it."

"Well, I'll see what I can do, but I can't guarantee that Jacob will be able to do it."

"I know, but it would help just to see if he could." Rosalie hesitated before she said, "There's only one thing."

Bella looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "What?"

"My client wants to know what Jacob's qualifications are before he lets him near his car."

"Are you serious?"

"I know. It's weird, but he's actually a really good client. I've brokered four cars for him already. The Aston Martin is his every day car. That's why it's pretty urgent."

"Well, Jacob isn't exactly the kind of guy who keeps a resume around."

"I don't need a resume, but would he have pictures of his past work? Would he be willing to be interviewed?"

Bella said, "I don't know. This seems pretty intense for an oil change."

Rosalie tone was patient. "Bella, if this client likes Jacob, it can open up a lot of opportunities for him."

Bella let out a sigh. "Alright. When do you need him?"

"As soon as possible."

"Like today?"

Rosalie hesitated before she said, "Yes."

"I'm supposed to help Alice with wedding stuff." Bella explained what was going on and when she was done, Rosalie asked to speak to Alice. She passed the phone to Alice.

When it sounded like they were going to be on the phone for a while, Bella went to the kitchen to finish her cereal. Edward joined her.

"So, are you going to talk to Jacob?" Edward asked.

"Yes, it's just that. . ." She took a bite of her cereal rather than finishing her sentence.

Edward turned to face her. "What?"

She hesitated before she said, "We didn't exactly part on the greatest terms the last time we saw each other."

His brow furrowed. "What happened?"

Bella looked at Edward for a moment before she continued eating her cereal.

"Bella?" He asked.

She took a moment to take a couple more bites from her cereal and said, "The last time I saw him was. . . Saturday morning. After I saw you."

Edward's eyebrows shot up in recognition. "Oh."

Bella continued eating her cereal.

They stood next to each other in silence before Edward said, "I'm sorry if I caused any-"

Bella held up her hand. "No, don't apologize. It's. . . complicated."

"Emmett said something like that too."

She looked up at Edward. "What else did he say?"

Edward lifted one shoulder up and then down. "Nothing really. He said he didn't know what was going on between you guys."

"Oh," she said.

Edward hesitated before he said, "What is going on between you guys?"

Bella filled up her bowl with cereal again. She wasn't hungry anymore, but she didn't like where this conversation was going. She took a few bites before she said, "We're friends."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Have you always been just friends?"

Bella practically shoveled the next bite in her mouth.

Edward let out a small laugh. "I'll take that as a no."

Bella struggled to swallow her cereal. She went to the cupboard to get a glass so she could pour herself some juice. She took a long drink before she put the glass down.

Before Edward could ask any more questions, Alice joined them in the kitchen. She handed Bella back her phone.

Then Alice said, "Okay, this is what's going on." She looked at Edward and Bella with a determined look. "Edward, you're going to go with Bella to Jacob's to talk to him and take pictures of what he's working on right now to send to Rosalie. Call her once you get there, so she can talk to Jacob."

"But-" Bella said.

Alice held up a hand. "Once you're done at Jacob's, you can head over to the florist. The appointment is at noon."

Bella looked at her watch. It was already ten in the morning.

Edward said, "But I'm supposed to take you and Jasper to the airport."

Alice said, "We're going to take a cab."

Edward said, "That's silly. You don't need-"

Alice held up her hand again. "We need you guys to do this for us. Jasper and I can easily take a cab."

"But I've got work at two," Bella said.

"Edward can take you," Alice said without batting an eye.

"But then he'd have to pick me up," Bella said with a touch of frustration.

"It's alright," Edward said.

Bella shook her head and said, "No, I'm sure you have better things to do than to wait around to pick me up from work."

Alice said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Probably not."

Edward glared at her before he said, "I just have that write up to do, but other than that, I'm free for the rest of the day." He looked at Bella, but he gave her a reassuring smile. "I don't mind."

"But-" Bella said.

Alice plowed through. "Then it's settled." She looked at Bella. "You should call Jacob to see if he's available."

"Right." Bella excused herself and went to the guest room.

On the way back to her room, she couldn't help fuming about the situation. She wanted to be helpful, but she couldn't help feeling that Alice and Rosalie were bulldozing their way through her life. Granted, she didn't have any major plans, but she couldn't help feeling like they were conspiring against her to force her to spend more time alone with Edward.

She immediately felt guilty for having that thought. Alice and Rosalie wouldn't take their matchmaking skills this far. No one could for see all of the unfortunate events that seemed to be happening. She knew it was a ridiculous idea and let go of the building resentment. Although she did allow herself to be annoyed at the fact that she would have to face Jacob with Edward no less.

She wasn't sure if Jacob would even be at home. He was in the habit of leaving without a moment's notice when he got information about parts he needed.

Once she was in the guest room, she dialed Jacob's number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Bella?" His tone was one of surprise.

"Hi, Jacob."

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you for a while."

She cringed. "I'm sorry. If you're busy then-"

"No, I'm just working on my car."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"The car?"

"Yeah." Bella told Jacob about Rosalie and the situation with her client. Then she explained what Rosalie hoped he'd be willing to do.

"Wait, who exactly is Rosalie?"

"Rosalie Hale. She's Jasper's sister. And Jasper is Alice's fiancee."

"Oh."

She didn't need to clarify whose sister Alice was.

"Are you interested? Or should I just tell Rosalie-"

"I'm interested."

"Really?" She thought she'd have to spend more time persuading him.

"I can't turn down the chance to look at an Aston Martin." There was a note of Jacob's trademark amusement in his voice.

Bella laughed. "Right."

"So, does this mean you're coming over?" He didn't bother to hide his eagerness.

"Yes, but," she let out a short breath before she said, "Edward will be with me."

It was quiet for a moment.

"Jacob?"

"Okay," his voice was resigned.

"After we're done at your place, we're supposed to go to some florist for his sister before the wedding next weekend. She wants us to approve the flowers."

"You don't have to explain anything."

"I know. I just. . ."

"Bella, I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me. I knew how you felt. It's not like it was a big secret."

His voice was sincere and it made Bella feel bad. "Jacob-"

"I'm alright."

"But-"

"If you guys are happy then-"

"Jacob, it's not like that."

"What do you mean?" He sighed. "Have you told him?"

"Told him what?"

"That you're in lo-"

"No!"

"Well, why not?" Despite his own feelings, Jacob was surprised.

"Because, it's not like that."

"Bella, once you tell him, it will be."

She was annoyed with the certainty in his tone. "Jacob, you don't know-"

"I do know when a guy looks at you like that, if you tell him you love him, he'll fall on his knees."

Even though she knew Jacob couldn't see her, she shook her head in disbelief.

"Look, it's not like I want to push you two together," he said.

Bella let out a small laugh.

"But I do want you to be happy, Bella."

"Jacob-"

He didn't want to get into this. "So, when you are you guys coming over?"

Bella lightly pinched the bridge of her nose. "Um, maybe in half an hour?"

"Alright. I'll see you later," he said and hung up.

Bella let out a long sigh. She went to the bathroom to make sure she was presentable. Her eyes looked a little moist, so she blinked several times in an effort to clear them up. Then she applied some of the lip gloss from the salon, hoping it would take off attention from her eyes and place them on her lips.

When she walked out of the bathroom, Edward was standing in the doorway of the guest room.

He asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She picked up her purse from the dresser.

When she got to the doorway, Edward examined her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"How did it go with Jacob?" He studied her face carefully.

She gave him a small smile to reassure him she was fine. "He's interested and he said he'd talk with Rosalie. I told him that we'd be there in half an hour."

"Okay," He studied her face again. "I could go there by myself."

She gave him a full smile. "No, I'm fine. Really." She was also sure that Jacob would give him a hard time if she wasn't there to act as a shield.

"If you're sure, then let me just get my laptop." They walked out of the room.

"Why do you need your laptop?" She asked while she followed him.

"Rosalie wants to me upload the pictures of Jacob's work right away and she wants to be on video conference."

She had a look of disbelief on her face. "Oh my gosh. I think she's worse than Alice."

They laughed.

Alice joined them in the foyer while Edward went upstairs to get his laptop.

She asked, "What's so funny?"

Bella cleared her throat. "Nothing."

"We really appreciate this, Bella."

She waved off Alice's comment. "Don't worry about it."

Alice said, "No, I know how much of a sacrifice this is for you."

"It'll be fine."

Alice lowered her voice. "Are you going to be alright going to Jacob's?"

She nodded. "He was fine over the phone."

"Will it be awkward with Edward there?" Alice had a genuine look of concern on her face.

Bella hesitated. "A little, but I'm glad he'll be there."

Alice smiled.

Edward returned with his laptop. He had in it in a chocolate colored leather messenger bag which was slung over his shoulder.

Alice hugged Bella and Edward before they left. They were going to see each other again in a few days to spend time at the cabin, but Alice was still insistent on the affectionate parting.

/&/

They had driven Esme's Mercedes because Edward's car was back in California. It didn't take them very long to get to Jacob's place. They walked directly to the garage. Bella usually let herself in, but since she was with Edward, she figured she should knock first.

There was the sound of tools being moved around and a few minutes later, the door flew open.

"Hey, Bella." Embry gave Bella a wide grin, but when he saw Edward standing behind her, his smile dimmed and he nodded at Edward in acknowledgment. He took a step away from the door to let them pass.

"Hey, Embry." Bella walked through the door and Edward followed.

Jacob was at his tool bench, wiping his hands off on a rag. It looked like he had just come out from under the car. Bella spared the car a glance and she couldn't help letting a smile small creep on her lips. It looked the same to her every time.

"Don't look at her like that. I'm almost done with her," Jacob said.

Bella stood in front of the Mustang. "If you say so."

Jacob came over and stood next to Bella. "You never really learned to appreciate my skills."

Bella laughed. "You're right. They were totally wasted on me."

"Someday, Bella." He gave her one of his knowing smiles.

Bella swore to herself for blushing. Jacob looked his best when he smiled.

Edward coughed.

Bella shifted in her spot. "Sorry," she looked at Edward before she turned to Jacob and said, "This is Edward Cullen."

Edward held out his hand and Jacob took it.

"Sorry. I tried to clean up before you guys got here," Jacob let go of Edward's hand and held it up. Jacob's hand had black smudges on it.

Edward looked at his hand and sure enough, he had the same marks on his hand too. Edward let out a small laugh and proceeded to wipe his hand on his jeans. "No worries," he looked around the garage. "Is there somewhere I can set this up?" He pulled at the strap of his messenger bag. "Rosalie's waiting."

"Right," Jacob pointed at the tool bench.

Edward walked over to the tool bench, pulled out his laptop, and started it up. He pulled out a digital camera from the bag as well.

Bella said, "Should I start taking pictures?"

"Sure," Edward passed the camera to Bella.

Bella took it from him and walked back to the car.

Less than a minute later, Rosalie's face took up half of Edward's computer screen.

"Whoa! Who's that?" Embry said nearly knocking Edward out the way.

Jacob walked over to look at the screen. "Rosalie?"

She smiled. "Jacob? I've heard a lot about you."

Embry pushed Jacob aside. "I'm Embry. I help out Jacob from time to time."

Rosalie gave him a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Embry."

Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Do you have pictures of the Mustang?" she asked.

"Bella's taking them right now," Edward said.

"Oh, has she taken any of the engine, yet?"

Edward turned to face Bella. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes." She walked over to the front of the car and snapped two pictures of the engine.

"So, Rosalie, what exactly is it that you do?" Embry tried to keep his features disinterested, but his tone conveyed an underlying eagerness.

She gave him a small smile. "I'm a broker for rare and vintage cars."

His eyebrows shot up. "How'd you get it into that?"

She shrugged. "Cars have always been a hobby of mine."

"Really?" Embry perched an elbow on the tool bench and rested his chin on his hand, looking at Rosalie on the screen. "So you restore any cars yourself?"

Rosalie brushed some hair off her shoulder. "I'm working on a 1964 Bentley S3."

At this, Embry stood straight and Jacob nudged Edward away from the laptop.

Edward listened as a quick succession of questions went back and forth between Rosalie, Jacob, and Embry. Bella finished taking pictures and stood next to Edward.

"What's going on?" she asked and then handed back his camera to him.

"They're talking about the car Rosalie is restoring," Edward said. He then took out the memory card from his camera and inserted it into the card reader of his computer.

"Excuse me for a minute," he said and Jacob and Embry moved aside. "Rosalie, I'm uploading the pictures Bella took."

"Okay," she said.

He minimized the video window and emailed the pictures to Rosalie. Once he sent the pictures, he returned the video window to it's normal size.

"I just sent the pictures to you, Rosalie."

"Okay. I'm checking right now." Rosalie disappeared for a moment. When she returned she looked very pleased.

She said, "It looks like you're really close to finishing."

Jacob shot Bella an 'I told you so' look.

Bella rolled her eyes.

Rosalie asked, "How come you don't have a website?"

Jacob held up his smudged hands. "I'm not exactly a website kind of guy."

Rosalie shook her head. "You can hire someone to create a website for you."

He put his hands on his hips. "What would be the point?"

She leaned closer to the screen. "To increase your clientele."

He chuckled. "I like to rebuild classic cars. I don't have any delusions of grandeur about what I do."

She leaned back, but rested her chin on her hand. "You'd be surprised by how big a demand there is for a good mechanic in this line of business."

Embry cut into in the conversation. "It sounds like a good idea."

Jacob glared at Embry who took a step back.

Rosalie let out a small laugh. "I know someone who can help you out. When I find their contact information, I'll pass it on to you."

From there, the conversation between Rosalie and Jacob related to Rosalie's client and the work that needed to be done. Jacob was intrigued, but he was hesitant about accepting. He told Rosalie that he'd think it over and he'd let her know by the end of the day.

When it sounded like Jacob and Rosalie's conversation was coming to a close, Bella stepped in front of the screen.

"So, how's Portland?" Bella asked.

Jacob and Edward walked away, giving Bella some privacy to talk to Rosalie.

Rosalie shuffled some papers around in front of her. "It's. . . nice."

Bella said, "I talked to Emmett last night."

Rosalie froze. "Did you tell him I-"

Bella shook her head. "He has no idea." She tilted her head to the side. "You're not nervous, are you?"

Rosalie shifted further from the screen. "No, I just. . . he's here attending that conference, so. . ."

She raised an eyebrow at Rosalie. "He doesn't attend the conference in the evenings."

Rosalie cleared her throat. "I know. I. . ."

"He'll be disappointed if he knew you were there and he didn't get to see you."

Rosalie's eyes widened. "Bella, you're not going to tell him, are you?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "I might have to if you keep this up."

Rosalie held up her hands. "Okay. I'll talk to him today."

She smiled. "Good."

"And how are things with you?" Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her.

Bella shifted in her spot. "Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Rosalie, I have to go. Edward and I have to stop at the florist."

Rosalie smirked. "That should be fun."

She rolled her eyes. "Bye, Rosalie." Then she quickly closed the video window before Rosalie could say anything else.

Bella turned around to see Jacob and Edward standing next to the Mustang. Each of them had their arms crossed around their chests. They were talking in low voices and when Bella approached them, they stopped and turned to face her.

There was such a stark contrast in appearance between them, but despite their differences, they were both handsome in their own way. Bella felt herself grow warm at the way they both gave her appraising looks.

"Done?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak. She hated that she could be affected in such a way.

Edward walked over and started packing up his laptop. She looked at Jacob who was still taking her in with his eyes.

Bella turned her gaze to the car. "So, are you going to help Rosalie's client?"

By now, Edward had finished packing up his laptop and was standing beside her. She nearly jumped when she felt Edward's hand on the small of her back.

Jacob saw the gesture. He hesitated before he said, "I'm going to think it through and talk to my dad about it before I make a decision."

"Why do you need to talk to your dad? He'll say yes to whatever-" Embry didn't finish the rest of his sentence because Jacob gave him a warning look.

Edward leaned down and said, "Are you ready to go?"

She looked at Edward and then back at Jacob. "Actually, I'd like a few minutes to talk to Jacob, if that's okay?"

Edward studied Bella's face for a minute before he said, "If that's what you want, I'll go wait in the car." He nodded to Jacob. "Nice meeting you."

Jacob nodded his head in acknowledgment. Edward gave one last look to Bella before he walked out the garage.

Embry cleared his throat. "I'm just going to. . . go see if Billy needs anything." Jacob chuckled as Embry left the garage as well. His dad was at the bar, taking inventory.

Jacob walked over to the engine.

Bella hesitated before she said, "So, will you call me and tell me how it goes with Rosalie's client?"

Jacob didn't look up from his inspection under the hood. "I didn't say I'd do it."

"Come on, Jacob."

It was a minute before he said, "Okay. You know I'll do it, but I didn't want to seem overly eager in front of them."

"What's wrong with just saying you'll do it? Why do you have to make Rosalie wait?"

He shrugged. "I don't want it to look like I don't have a life."

Bella let out a small laugh. "Maybe I should take some of your advice."

This time Jacob looked up at her.

"Between her and Alice, they've got me running all over town, doing stuff for them."

"Well, that's because you're a good friend."

She rolled her eyes. "Or just a pushover."

"You? A pushover?" He gave her a teasing smile.

"Whatever. So, are you going to let me know how it goes?"

He looked back down at the engine. "You could just ask Rosalie about it."

"True." Bella let out a deep sigh. "But, I'd like to get your point-of-view on how it went."

Jacob stopped fiddling with things under the hood, but he didn't look up at Bella when he said, "We'll see."

Bella knew what was happening. It felt very much like when Edward started to distance himself from her. She felt a small part of her heart breaking.

"Can I ask you something?" He stepped away from the engine and looked at her.

"Yeah." She took a step closer.

Bella could see the struggle on his face before he said, "Why did he leave?"

She looked down at her shoes.

"You did ask him about it, right?"

Bella let out a short breath. "Yeah."

He gave her an expectant look.

Bella played with the hem of her shirt. "He said that he needed a change."

Jacob waited for her to explain, but when she didn't, he said, "What does that mean? Did he say anything else?"

Bella licked her lips. "No."

Jacob came around the front of the car and stood in front of Bella. "So, he told you he needed a change and that's it. You're okay with that?"

Bella's brow wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

He gave her a look of disbelief. "He's been gone for seven years and the lame ass reason he gives you is that he needed a change? And you don't ask him to explain?"

"He said he couldn't explain it."

Jacob's mouth dropped open.

Bella tipped her chin up. "What?"

He shook his head. "And you're willing to welcome him back just like that?"

Bella's eyes widened. "Just like that? You make it sound like it's easy for me."

"Well, isn't it?" His tone was mildly accusatory.

"No. I just. . ." Bella closed her eyes and said, "He said he missed me."

He pressed. "And?"

Bella opened her eyes. "And what?"

He shook his head. "Bella, if he missed you, why couldn't he have called or emailed? He could've written you a letter. He seems capable of putting two words together."

"Jacob," she said in frustration.

Jacob held up a hand. "I'm sorry, it's just. . ."

After a moment, she said, "It's just what?"

Jacob looked at her. "The Bella Swan I knew wouldn't have taken that kind of crap."

Bella flinched. "What are you talking about?"

He took a rag out from his pocket and started polishing parts of the engine. "I don't understand how you accepted what he said just like that."

She held up her hands. "What was I supposed to do?"

He stopped polishing and balled the rag in his fist. "Um, how about kick his ass at the very least."

She balled her hands into fists and rested them on her hips. "Jacob, why are you being like this?"

"Me?" Jacob gave her another look of disbelief. "Why are _you_ being like this?"

"I'm not doing anything," she said.

He crossed his arms. "That's exactly my point."

"I. . ." Bella opened and close her mouth several times, but nothing came out. She looked down at her hands which were laced together now.

Jacob immediately regretted what he said. He walked over to her and tilted her chin up. "I'm sorry. That was out of line."

She shook her head. "You're right. I hate myself for not. . . I'm just scared."

He dropped his hand. "What do you have to be afraid of?"

Bella stepped back and took in a deep breath. "I didn't think I'd get over him being gone from my life. It was like this slow burn that you learn to tolerate after a while, you know? It still hurts and its a constant reminder of what you lost, but it was also something I learned to live with. And then after a while, I actually believed that I was over him."

She leaned against the car. "Then when he came back, it was like that burn turned into a raging fire and I was upset and hurt again. I didn't want to see him because it was easier to be angry. But, he and Emmett would go out together and it was unavoidable that I'd see him. All of a sudden, it was like he never left."

Bella played with a strand of her hair. "You're going to think I'm really pathetic. But, it was like, after seven years of nothing, if I just got to be near him again, it was enough."

Jacob leaned against the car next to her. "That's not pathetic."

Bella let out a harsh laugh. "Actually, that's not the really pathetic part."

He looked at her, waiting for to continue.

"I told him I thought he left because he was mad at me and he told me that he wasn't." She hesitated before she said, "When he said that, I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and I didn't care about anything else."

After a moment, Jacob said, "You're right."

She looked up at him. "About what?"

"That was pathetic." He gave her a small smile.

Her mouth dropped open.

He held up his hands. "Kidding."

She bared her teeth. "Jacob, if you're going to-"

He pushed himself off the car and faced her. "I'm sorry. I guess I can identify a lot with your feelings."

Bella's expression softened and she shifted in her spot.

After a minute, Jacob said, "So what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" She looked back down at her hands.

"Are you serious?" he asked in an exasperated tone.

"What?" She looked up at him.

"Bella!" He shook his head. "You're not just going to let this go, are you?"

"What am I supposed-"

He held up one of his hands. "Okay. You were hurt and resentful and now things seem better. But you know deep down, they really aren't." He gave her a pointed look before he said, "So, what are you going to do about it?"

She titled her head back and sighed. "Jacob, it's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know if I'd be able to live if he left like that again. I don't want to do anything that would. . ." She gave him a pleading look. "If I did something to make him leave. . ."

Jacob sighed. Then he said, "Why do you do this?"

"Do what?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit."

She rolled her eyes. "Jacob."

"Okay, let me put it in a way that you'll understand." He took a step forward. "You are worth fighting for."

Bella had been studying the oil marks on the floor, but at Jacob's words, she looked up at him.

He continued, "If I had any chance to be with you, I'd be fighting for you right now. There are so many reasons, Bella." He looked like he wanted to touch her, but he kept his arms to his side.

Instead he said, "You know what's my favorite reason?"

She waited for him to continue.

He hesitated before he leaned down and Bella closed her eyes. She was expecting to feel his lips on hers, but instead he placed soft kisses on her eyelids.

They fluttered open and she gave him a confused look.

"I love the way you see things," a small corner pulled at the corner of his mouth. "And the way you look at me when you think I don't know you're staring."

Bella felt her face go flush and she barely managed to say, "You're ridiculous."

He took a step back. "You're worth more than ten Edward Cullens."

She let out a small laugh. "That's laying it on thick." She thought about it for a minute before she said, "Maybe it's more like twenty."

This time Jacob laughed. After a moment, he looked at Bella and said, "I just want you to be happy. And if Edward is the one that can do it, then I'll make peace with that." He went back to the engine. "Just remember you are worth it, Bella."

She shook her head. "Right."

He looked at her. "I'm serious."

She returned his expression. "I know."

"Bella," he said her name in an aggravated sigh.

"I know, Jacob. It's just. . ." She shook her head again. "It's going to take a while to get used to that idea."

He asked, "Do you want to be happy?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"Then do what it takes to make yourself happy."

"That's easier said than done."

He shook his head. "Hasn't anything I said sunk in, yet?"

"Jacob," she said with a tone of annoyance.

He thought for a second before he said, "Oh, here goes." He made sure he had her attention before he said, "Walk it off and rub some dirt on it."

"What?" Bella looked at him like he was crazy.

"Isn't that what Emmett would say? You're afraid of getting hurt and you're unsure of yourself, but Emmett would pretty much say to get over it, right?"

Bella opened and closed her mouth, but nothing came out.

He shrugged. "Hey, I tried to tell you my way, and you're still being stubborn. So, I had to take the gloves off."

Bella laughed.

"Now, get out of here," he said in a teasing manner. "Edward is probably insanely jealous right now."

"He is not!" She looked appalled by the suggestion.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to give him a reason to be jealous?"

"No!" She shook her head. "He wouldn't get jealous if I made out with Brad Pitt right in front of him."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Bye, Bell." He walked around his car and sat next to it, getting ready to get back under it.

"Jacob!" She couldn't believe he was just going to end their conversation like this.

"Why are you still here?" He was talking from under the car. "Didn't you say you had to go to some florist with him?"

"Oh, crap!" She looked at her watch. It was half an hour before the appointment. "Okay. I gotta go, but call me to tell me how it goes with Rosalie's client."

"Fine," he said in a tone of defeat.

She said goodbye to him and dashed out of the garage. She saw that Edward was waiting in the car and his expression was tense. She opened the passenger door and got in.

"Sorry," she said while she buckled her seat belt.

He started the engine. "Is everything okay?"

She couldn't help grinning. "Yeah." Bella was waiting for him to put the car in gear, but when he didn't, she looked at him. "What's wrong?"

He examined her face and then his brow creased. "You have a smudge on your chin."

"I do?" Bella flipped down the sun visor and looked in the mirror. Sure enough. There was a black smudge in the middle of her chin where Jacob had placed his thumb.

She swore and started rubbing it off, but it just made it worse. She knew if Jacob could see her, he'd be laughing his head off.

Edward said, "I think my mom keeps tissues in the glove compartment."

Bella reached into the glove compartment and found some. She took one and started to rub it off.

Edward had already started driving while Bella was trying to remove the smudge mark. They rode in silence, but the atmosphere was tense.

She was glad when they arrived at the florist's shop. They walked in and the florist gave them a warm greeting. Edward told him that they were here for Alice and the the florist's face lit up. He said he had the samples and he would bring them out for them to see. While the florist disappeared into the back of the store, Edward and Bella were left alone.

Bella walked over to the refrigerator case, appreciating all the different bouquets stored inside. Edward joined her.

After a few minutes, Edward, trying to sound indifferent, said, "So, what did you and Jacob talk about?"

Bella shrugged. "We talked about whether or not he'd help Rosalie's client."

He waited for her to continue, but when she didn't, he said, "That's it?"

She leaned down to get a closer look at a bouquet of tulips and hyacinths that were on one of the lower shelves. "We talked about other stuff too."

He looked at her, but her attention was focused on the flowers. "You were in there for a while."

"I know. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

He tried to keep the impatience out of his voice. "How did you get the smudge on your chin?"

Bella stood straighter and looked at him. She saw that his brow was creased and his jaw was set, but she didn't understand why.

"Jacob did it."

His nose flared. His mouth was closed, but his jaw flinched. She remembered that Jacob said that Edward might be jealous while she was with him. It was hard for her to believe that, so she figured Edward was being protective more than anything else. Emmett would probably react the same way too.

So, she handled it like she would with Emmett.

She said, "I thought I got all of it, but sometimes it's hard keeping track of where Jacob's hands have been."

At this comment, the color in Edward's face got deeper. "You mean you guys were-"

"Well, we didn't have that much time. And Jacob always takes his time when he wants-"

"So, while I was waiting in the car, you and Jacob were. . . alone in the garage. . ." Edward's voice had gotten louder.

She shrugged. "Well, we are two consenting adults."

His eyes widened. "I can't believe that you'd-"

"That I'd what?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "That I'd like a hot make out session with an _extremely_ fit mechanic?"

Edward opened and closed his mouth several times, but nothing came out.

Her eyebrows shot up. "You're worse than Emmett."

He blinked several times and saw a small smile on Bella's lips. After a moment, he said, "What?"

She couldn't help laughing.

"Wait." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Were you just messing with me?"

"You thought I was serious?" Her tone was incredulous.

He took a step toward her. "That doesn't explain how you got that smudge on your chin."

She tilted her head to the side. "He kissed me." Bella didn't bother clarifying where Jacob had kissed her because she got a small amount of satisfaction when she saw Edward's surprised look.

The color had left his face and he looked away at the flowers in the refrigerator case. "I thought you guys were just friends."

"We are, but. . ." Why should she explain this to him? The fact that she said they were just friends should be enough. She would never explain it to Emmett just because it was none of his business.

She studied Edward's profile and saw that his brow was wrinkled and he tried to sound unconcerned. She felt bad about teasing him so relentlessly and realized that he did not have the years of experience that Emmett had of enduring her talk of the opposite sex.

"I'm sorry," she said with as much sincerity as she could express in just two words.

He turned to look at her. "It's okay. I guess I deserved it."

She shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Jacob wouldn't be Jacob if he didn't try to sneak in a kiss."

His brow scrunched again, but with a an expression of concern. "Friends don't normally share kisses so casually."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure, they do."

"Bella, no they don't." He put both hands on her shoulders. "I think he's taking advantage of you."

"No, he's not." And to prove her point, she took a step toward him and kissed him.

This wasn't like the other time where their lips just barely brushed against each other. Her lips were firmly on his and she felt electricity jolt through her lips right down to her toes.

Bella pulled away. It was a brief, yet seemingly harmless kiss, but it left Bella wanting more.

"See?" She barely managed to say and then she opened her eyes. Bella was taken aback by Edward's expression.

He looked at her and then at her lips. "Bella?"

She felt herself flush. Based on his shocked expression, she realized that she had gone too far. She took a step back and Edward's hands dropped to his sides.

Before Edward could say or do anything else, Edward's phone rang.

"You should get that," Bella said relieved for the interruption.

"It can wait," he said and took a step toward her.

His phone stopped ringing, but a few seconds later, _I'm Just a Girl_ by No Doubt started playing.

Her eyes widened. "It's Alice."

Edward came out of his daze. "That's her ring tone?"

She nodded and dug her phone from her pocket.

"What's mine?" he asked.

Bella answered her phone instead. "Alice?"

"Hey! Did you guys make it to the florist?"

She snuck a glance at Edward. "Yeah, we're here right now."

"I just tried calling Edward and he didn't answer. Is he with you?"

"Yeah, he's standing right here." Bella cringed when the words left her mouth.

"Then why didn't he answer?"

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe his phone is off." She looked at Edward who was watching her, but he didn't seem to care about what she was telling Alice.

"Okay. Whatever. Have you guys seen the flowers yet?"

"No, we're still waiting for the florist to bring them out."

And as if right on cue, the florist returned from the back of the store.

"Sorry that took so long. My assistant moved them and we had to look through all the other arrangements."

"Oh, here he is." Bella sighed with relief.

Things took off from there. Edward had to go back to his car to get his camera and laptop. He ended up emailing Alice pictures.

The negotiations went on longer than expected. Bella was worried that she'd be late for work. Edward noticed that Bella was checking the time frequently, and gently reminded Alice that he still had to take Bella to work.

Alice wrapped up her conversation with the florist and finalized her decisions about the flowers. Once that was done, Edward packed up his stuff and they were out the door. On the way to the university, they stopped and picked up some sandwiches.

They finally made it to the campus with Bella polishing the last of her turkey sandwich right before Edward pulled up at the curb.

"I don't think ever seen anyone inhale a sandwich like that before," Edward said.

She gulped down some of her bottled water. "Hey, I learned from the best."

Edward chuckled at the reference to Emmett. "So, what time should I pick you up?"

"My shift ends at six."

"Okay."

"I'll see you later." She hopped out of the car. There was a trash bin near the curb and she disposed of it there, but held on to her water bottle.

The passenger window rolled down and Edward called out to her.

Bella turned around and saw that Edward was leaning toward the open window. "Yeah?"

He gave her a small smile. "Try not to let any other friends take advantage of you while I'm gone."

Bella laughed and saluted him. "Right."

She turned and continued walking toward the library. She couldn't fight the goofy grin that spread across her face. She should've been agonizing over what had happened in the florist's shop with Edward. She would usually be mentally berating herself for acting so carelessly. She should be worried about what Edward thought about the kiss.

Instead, she walked into work with the goofy grin still plastered on her face, humming a tune she made up. Even though she wasn't sure about Edward's reaction to her kiss, her excitement over the fact that it happened at all outweighed her anxiety and all her worries.

_I kissed Edward Cullen._

Her friend Angela had never seen her re-shelve books in such a happy manner.


	9. Chapter 9: Mr Dazzling

_A/N: I had planned on posting much earlier this week, but I haven't been feeling well and this chapter proved to be the most challenging to revise. I think taking the extra time to fine tune it has definitely improved the flow and I hope you all find it to your liking._

_I also wanted to let you know that I'm going back to work next week, so posting might be a bit erratic at first. Sticking to the one post a week schedule has been manageable so far, but once work starts, it might be stretched out to a week and a half between posts. I hope you're all not disappointed, but it does take time to write the chapters and revise them and with work starting up again, it'll take a little longer to post. (I'd rather take my time writing and revising, making sure it's the best I could do, rather than giving you something rushed and unsatisfying.) But I do want to assure you all that I will finish writing this story. (I just started writing chapter 12 the other night.)_

_Sorry for the unusually long A/N. You guys have been fabulous with your reviews and support for this story. I thought it was only fair that I give you a heads up about the progress of this story since many of you take the time to read and review it._

_Thank you so much for giving this story a chance and I hope you guys continue to enjoy it. And for those of you who are despairing over how annoyingly clueless Edward and Bella are toward each other, there is hope for them yet. :)_

_A mountain of gratitude go to my epic betas spotzle and vjgm. Their feedback is invaluable and if it weren't for them, this story wouldn't be nearly as good. :)_

**_Note: This chapter is +13, 000 words._**_ I really do have to apologize for the length this time. I actually cut out about two pages and it still came out very long._

_For those of you in the US, have a fabulous Labor Day weekend!_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 9 "Mr. Dazzling"**

_And I want you now_

_I want you now_

_I feel my heart implode_

_and I'm breaking out_

_escaping now_

_feeling my faith erode_

- "Hysteria" by Muse

Edward woke up with a start. It took him a moment to realize that he was on the couch in the family room. His dream was so vivid. He and Bella were back at the florist's shop. It was the moment right after Bella had kissed him. Instead of standing there looking at Bella like he had, instead in his dream, he kissed her back.

He and Bella had gotten to a point in his dream where she had her legs wrapped around his waist, and he held her up against the refrigerator case. She was begging him to take her right there in the middle of the flower shop, but then Emmett walked in and practically ripped him off of Bella.

Right when Edward woke up, Emmett was getting ready to throw him through the plate glass window of the shop.

He held his head in hands with his elbows resting on his knees. Even in his dreams, he couldn't be with Bella.

Once he had calmed down from the dream, Edward realized he had fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for Bella. He was supposed to pick her up from work, but she had called to tell him that she was going out with her friend Angela and that she'd get a ride home from her afterward. Bella also told him that she had Alice's house keys, so he didn't have to worry about letting her in.

He was a knot of mixed emotions. It had started when Bella had the smudge on her chin from Jacob and how she didn't hide the fact that Jacob kissed her. Edward was ready to turn the car back and have it out with him. If anything, Edward knew that Emmett wouldn't have approved of Jacob taking advantage of Bella like that.

Then, when she tried to explain that it wasn't a big deal, he was upset at first, but he realized that he really didn't have a say about who Bella kissed. She actually believed that it was acceptable for friends to kiss so freely as if it was a handshake. He was about to tell her that Emmett most definitely would not approve of what happened between her and Jacob when Bella kissed him.

To say that he was stunned would be an understatement. Not only was he caught off guard by Bella's action, but he was overwhelmed by the deep feelings the kiss evoked.

The first time Bella claimed to have accidentally brushed her lips against his, it left him dazed. He had always wondered what her lips would feel like, but the sensation was so fleeting, he'd barely had a chance to savor it.

This kiss staggered him. It wasn't that he'd never kissed a girl before. He just never had such a physical response like this. Every one of his senses came alive and it was almost too much to bear, and yet it left him wanting more.

If Bella had not paralyzed him like that, he would not have hesitated. Edward would've kissed her back, re-igniting the fire that lit all his senses.

He had been disappointed when she called to let him know that she wasn't going to be home that evening. But, after careful consideration, he realized it was probably best that she hadn't returned so soon after what happened at the florist's shop. He was still trying to sort out his tumultuous emotions. Emotions that he had kept in check for so long that, with one kiss, threatened to erupt.

Bella had seemed completely unaffected by the kiss. He thought she probably would've been shocked by his behavior if he had tried to kiss her again. A kiss would not have been appalling in itself, but he knew he wouldn't have been able to leave it at just one kiss. He knew Bella would've been revolted by his further advances.

He moved to get off the couch, but saw one of the throw blankets on the floor. It must've fallen off when he woke up so suddenly, but then again he didn't remember putting it on himself either.

He got up and took a few steps toward the guest room. He saw that the door was shut and went back to pick up the throw blanket. Edward folded it and put it back on the couch. He couldn't help smiling because it would be a very Bella thing to do to cover him with a blanket. It's too bad she didn't wake him up. He would've liked to see her one more time before the night ended.

And then what? Lure her into the guest room and continue where they left off in the flower shop? What was he thinking?

Edward went upstairs to change. He desperately needed to go out for a run, so he could work off some this raw energy.

* * *

She was a coward.

When she woke up, she listened for any sounds from the living room, waiting to hear if Edward stirred. She didn't hear anything which meant he was either still asleep on the couch or he had gone upstairs. She went so far as to get out of bed and press her ear to the door. When she heard nothing, she took a chance and opened it, peeking through the crack. She saw that the couch was empty and the throw blanket that she had put over him was neatly folded up.

She let out a deep breath unaware that she had been holding it.

Then she sprinted to the guest bathroom to shower and change. She had a paper due later today and needed to go over it before she turned it in.

While she was getting ready, Bella's thoughts drifted to the conversation she had last night with Angela after work.

The buzz of the kiss quickly wore off once she had more time to think about it which was unavoidable when all you did at work was either catalog books or re-shelve them. An hour before her shift ended, Angela mentioned that she seemed out of sorts. When Bella told her that she kissed Edward, Angela cancelled her date with Ben and arranged an impromptu girls' night to get all the details. Bella was relieved to have an excuse to not go back to the Cullens' house.

Once their shift ended, Angela was ready to go out for drinks to extract the information from Bella. However, Bella was vehement about not drinking any alcohol. She couldn't afford to lose control of herself especially when Edward was just a few steps away from her room.

So, instead they settled for coffee and Bella was very pliant and forthcoming about the details about what happened. Angela was surprised, but was quick to get over it and went straight to the point.

"So, what happens now?" Angela was on the edge of her armchair, her coffee long forgotten, and her hands on the table.

Bella had a hand on her coffee cup. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's your next move?"

"Next move? There is no next move."

Angela gave her a look of disbelief before she said, "Come on, Bella! You've been having fantasies about this since forever."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I have not."

"Do I have to whip out your eighth grade diary?"

Bella cringed. "I can't believe you read that!"

She laughed. "It was hard not to. You practically left it out for anyone to see."

"The one time I forget to put it away!" Bella let out a frustrated sigh. "Anyway, nothing else is going to happen."

"I don't understand."

"What's there to understand? It was one kiss. It was nice, but that's that."

Angela picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. She shook her head in disgust at the lukewarm coffee and set it aside. "How can that be all?"

It was a minute before Bella said, "It was the look on his face afterward."

Angela raised her eyebrows.

Bella continued, "He wasn't happy or pleased in anyway. He just looked at me like. . ." She closed her eyes, remembering Edward's expression. She opened her eyes unable to bear the memory anymore. "It was like I did something horribly wrong."

Angela reached over and squeezed Bella's hand. "I'm sure that wasn't what he was thinking."

"I have almost two degrees in communication, Angela. I think I can recognize a disgusted expression."

"Bella-"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter anyway. I'm sure by morning it will be all forgotten."

"You won't forget though."

"No," she said with a wistful tone.

"But, is that what you really want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you just want to forget about this and act like nothing happened?"

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"How about talking to Edward about it? Gauge his reaction? He might surprise you."

Bella gave her a skeptical look.

Angela let out a deep breath before she said, "Consider this. What if Edward wasn't disgusted by what you did? What if it was something else?"

"Like what?"

Angela shrugged. "I don't know. Like maybe he was surprised."

"Well, yeah. I was surprised, too."

"Okay. How about shocked? Haven't you ever been taken so completely off guard that it took you a minute to process what was really happening?"

Bella thought for a moment. There was one time in high school when Bella had caught Emmett making out with Lauren Mallory and it looked like he got to second base. It was a really jarring moment. Bella eventually was able to face Emmett, but it took Emmett a lot longer to get over it. After that, Emmett never had any girls over at the house and even to this day, he never brought anyone home.

"Yeah, I guess so." She tried not to shudder at the memory.

Angela sat up straighter. "So, maybe that's what happened to Edward."

"Okay, but once he got over the shock, maybe he wants to just forget about it now." Bella wished she could bleach her brain of the memory when she saw Emmett with his hand on Lauren's breast.

Angela raised an eyebrow at her. "Did it ever cross your mind that maybe if you guys weren't interrupted by Alice's phone call, Edward might have kissed you back?"

Bella laughed, but when she saw the serious look on Angela's face, her expression sobered. "You're actually serious?"

"Yes! Why is it so hard to believe?"

"Because both times I've kissed him, I never got the feeling that he wanted to kiss me back."

"Wait, what do you mean, _both_ times?"

_Crap_, she thought.

"Bella?"

She let out frustrated sigh before she explained what happened the morning after she spent the night in his room.

"Wait, you slept in his room?"

"Yeah, but he slept on the couch."

"But you were alone with him in his room?"

"It wasn't like that, Angela."

"Why don't you start from the beginning so that I can understand."

Bella started from the night before when Edward showed her to his room the first night she had stayed at the Cullens' house. She went on to explain how she was so tired that she went directly to bed and how the next morning Edward had come back to wake her up. Then she told Angela how Edward explained that he and Rosalie were not dating. Bella rushed through how they had been talking about it and somehow Bella had almost kissed him.

"What do you mean, you _almost_ kissed him?"

"Our lips barely touched. Alice had come to get us for breakfast."

Angela opened and closed her mouth several times before she said, "So, you just almost kissed him out of nowhere? You're leaving something out! Things like that don't happen randomly."

Bella shifted in her seat.

Angela gave her an expectant look.

After a moment, Bella told Angela how she had been having a dream about Edward and when she woke up, she found his hands on her.

Angela's eyes widened. "Whoa. Did he take advantage of you?"

"No. Apparently I got mixed up between my dream and reality." Bella sat back in her armchair. "Can we change the subject?"

Angela picked up her coffee cup again and almost took a sip, but remembered just in time that it was no longer good. Angela got up from her seat and said, "I'm going to get more. Do you want anything?"

Bella shook her head. "I'm good."

She watched Angela order. Alice was her best friend, but Angela was more like a kindred spirit. Angela hated drama just as much as she did. She was down to earth and reasonable.

Angela returned and took her seat. This time she sipped her coffee before it got cold again.

Bella said, "What are you thinking about?" Angela had been concentrating on her drink for a while now and the silence was driving Bella crazy.

Angela let out a sigh. "This is a lot to take in."

Bella tore the corner of her paper napkin. "I know."

Angela sat back in her chair. "I've been thinking about what you told me and I've been trying to be as objective as I can about it."

Bella smiled. She could always rely on Angela to be honest.

"You're not going to like what I have to say."

The smile on Bella's face evaporated.

Angela lifted her shoulders that conveyed her uncertainty. "Maybe it's best that I stay out of this. You've clearly made up your mind on how you want to handle this."

Bella shifted in her seat. "You're right, but I respect your opinion, Angela. If there's something you think I should know, I want you to tell me."

Angela raised her eyebrow. "Even if you won't like it?"

Bella let out a deep sigh. "Yeah. You're the only person I've really talked to about this."

Angela nodded. "Well, I think you should find out how Edward feels about you."

"I know how he feels."

Angela's eyebrows shot up. "You do?"

Bella let out a small laugh. "I'm Emmett's little sister. Do you think he'd see me as anything else?"

"Bella, you can't use that excuse anymore. It's been years since high school."

"Emmett and Edward were inseparable. They really could've been brothers."

"But they're not." Angela leaned forward in her seat. "Aren't you even curious to know if Edward might ever feel something more than just friendship for you?"

Bella shook her head. "I'll take friendship any day."

"What?" Angela looked at her with a surprised expression.

"What if I did tell Edward how I felt and he didn't feel the same way? It would make things really awkward between him and Emmett. Plus, I know he'd start acting differently toward me and. . ." Bella slid down in her seat.

"Bella?" Angela looked at her with concern now. "What were you going to say?"

Bella looked down at her hands on her lap. "It feels like I just got him back. My junior year in high school was the worst. You remember, right?"

Angela nodded.

"If he disappeared again. . . I'm just happy to take what I can get at this point and even if it's just his friendship, I'll happily settle for that."

"Bella." Angela moved her chair a little closer. "Are you really fine with that?"

It took a moment, but Bella nodded.

Angela gave her friend a small smile. Then she sipped her coffee. They sat together in companionable silence. Angela checked her watch. It was after ten and she had to get back to Ben.

Angela drove Bella to the Cullens' house. She had never seen the house and when they pulled up, Angela's mouth had dropped.

"You're staying here?"

Bella let out a small laugh. "Yeah. Nice, huh?"

Angela nodded.

Since they were going to see each other again the next day at work, they made plans to have lunch together during their break.

/??/

Bella shook her head and looked at her watch. She had a few hours until her shift started and then she had her class later. After class, she was supposed to go with Edward to the hotel where Alice's reception was being held. They were going to see the table setting and sample the reception menu. Alice had jokingly called it a dinner date, but Bella was not amused.

Once she was done getting ready, Bella ventured out into the kitchen to grab an apple for breakfast. She was relieved that the only person in the kitchen was Dr. Carlisle who was reading the paper at the table. While she was searching for the perfect apple, Carlisle mentioned that he'd be leaving to see his sister Tanya in a few hours. Edward would be taking him to the airport.

She tried to be casual in her inquiry about where Edward was at the moment and he said that he had just gotten back from a run and was showering.

Bella grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and said she had a paper to write before she had to go to work. She quickly excused herself and disappeared into the guest room.

She shut the door and took out her laptop from her bag. Bella plugged in her earphones and threw herself into her paper. The fact that only a floor separated her from a naked Edward should've been distraction enough. The more pressing matter now was that she and Edward were going to be completely alone for the next two days and nights.

/??/

Bella had set aside her laptop, but was still listening to music through her headphones while she searched for a section of text that she wanted to include in her paper. She had been working diligently for about an hour and a half. She had managed to calm herself.

She realized that she should tell Emmett. She wondered if Emmett would be okay with her being alone with Edward. Then she rolled her eyes in reaction to the thought. Emmett wouldn't care. He trusted Edward completely and she was sure Emmett felt nothing would happen while she was alone with Edward. In fact, she could imagine Emmett saying something along the lines that she might as well be staying at a monastery.

Bella nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She yanked the earphones out of her ears and looked up from her book.

"Edward! What the hell!" She placed a hand over her heart and tried to regulate her breathing.

He let out a small laugh. "Sorry. I knocked a few times, but I guess your music was on pretty loud." He sat next to her on the bed. "My dad said you were working on your paper."

His hair was damp and he smelled like he was fresh from his shower. She suddenly had images of Edward dripping wet flashing in her mind. Bella shifted in her spot. "Uh, yeah. I was just looking up something to put in my paper."

"Oh," he picked up an earphone and put it in his ear. "What time did you come in last night?"

Bella tried to focus her attention back on her book, but she was having a hard time concentrating. What the hell was that scent? It was heady with a bit of spice.

"What?" She asked when he saw the expectant look on his face.

He repeated his question. "What time did you come in last night?"

"Oh, I came in a little after ten."

He was looking down at her computer. "I waited for you."

_Oh god. Would he notice if I buried my nose in the crook of his neck? _she wondered.

Instead she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you waiting. Angela and I got so into our girl talk that we lost track of time."

"What did you guys talk about?" He was scrolling through her playlists.

"You know, the usual. Shopping and shoes."

He laughed. "So in other words, you talked about guys."

"What? Why would you say that?" she asked in a defensive tone.

"Bella, am I supposed to believe that _you_ spent hours on end talking about shopping and shoes?"

Bella opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing came out.

After a moment, Edward said, "Whoa, I was right? I was just kidding." He laughed. "So who did you talk about?"

"No one," Bella said a bit too loudly. She lowered her voice. "We were just talking about guys in general terms."

"In general terms? What is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"It sounds like an exclusive club or something."

Bella laughed. "It means that we weren't talking about anyone in particular."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!"

Edward's eyebrows shot up at her tone. "Come on, Bella, we're all friends here. You can talk to me about your crush."

"I don't have one!" She shook her head. She lowered her voice again before she said, "What I meant was that there's no one who interests me at the moment."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Really?" His tone was teasing.

She could feel the tops of her ears burning. "Yes," she tried to be nonchalant about it, but there was a tremor in her voice.

"Then who's Mr. Dazzling?"

She blinked several times. "What?"

He turned her computer screen so that she could see and pointed at the playlist entitled "Mr. Dazzling".

Bella felt her whole body flush. She tried to snap the laptop shut, but Edward held it out of her reach.

He clicked on the playlist and saw that there were at least 100 songs in the folder. "Mr. Dazzling is right. Why does he get so many songs?"

Bella tried to get her laptop back, but Edward was blocking her with his arm. When she made a reach for it, he wrapped one of his arms around her and pulled her away as if she were a small child.

"What kind of songs are dedicated to Mr. Dazzling?" He scrolled through the list.

"Edward, don't you dare!" She came up behind him and wrapped one of her arms around Edward's neck in an attempt at a choke hold. She managed to pull him away, but he fell back on her, causing Bella to grunt at the contact.

Edward acted as if being in a choke hold was an everyday occurrence. He held up Bella's laptop in front of his face.

He read off one of the songs on the playlist. "_Turn Me On_ by Nora Jones," he mumbled.

He clicked on the play button and a lazy piano melody drifted into the room.

"Edward!" Bella tried to reach for the computer again when the singing started and the lyrics went into, "Sitting at home waiting to be turned on."

Edward moved the laptop to the left, which put it out of Bella's reach. "Hmm. That's a very provocative song. Does Mr. Dazzling really make you feel this way?" He clicked on another song. "What's this?"

The sound of drums playing and a guitar strumming echoed and the familiar chorus of _How long must you wait for it?_ were sung.

Edward smiled. "I remember this song. Mr. Dazzling has good taste." In a teasing manner, he said, "Judging on the songs you have for him, it sounds like unrequited love or something."

He clicked on a different song. "Why do you have this song in here?" The crooning voice of The Platters drifted in the room.

Bella had long given up trying to stop Edward, but she had one arm still wrapped around his neck and the other had slipped under his arm. One leg dangled off the bed, and the other was hooked around one of his legs. His back was pressed against her chest and the weight of him on her at first was surprising, but she eventually found it comfortable.

She tried to steady her breathing and she was glad that Edward seemed too preoccupied with the playlist to notice how she had been holding him so tightly.

It took her half a minute to process the question. Then she said, "What's wrong with that song?"

"Nothing, I just. . . I remember listening to it once when we. . ." He put the laptop down on her bed, but he didn't move from his place.

Bella waited for Edward to continue.

"Do you remember the meadow?" His voice was low.

"Yes." Of course she did.

It was actually a rumor at Forks High there was a meadow near the school. It was hard to find because it was secluded. Of course, that meant it was perfect for teenagers. Emmett was a on quest to find the meadow and enlisted the help of Edward to find it. Of course, Alice and Bella would not be left out and they offered to help too.

They broke up into pairs. She ended up with Edward while Alice went with Emmett. She didn't remember how it turned out that way, but she was happy to be with Edward.

No one actually knew where it was and they had searched for about forty-five minutes, when Bella and Edward found it. Their first instinct was to go find Alice and Emmett, but when they got into the middle of the meadow, the sky opened up and the view of the stars were no longer hampered by the trees. It was a breath taking sight.

They sat together in the middle of the clearing and listened to Bella's iPod. They sat through _Twilight Time _while gazing at the stars. It was during the time when things between her and Edward were shaky. Being alone with him was getting to be a rarity, but it felt natural to be with him. She rested her head on his shoulder and he draped his arm around her. Then once the song ended, they left the meadow.

They found Alice and Emmett waiting at Emmett's truck. When Emmett asked if they had found it, Edward spoke up and said no. He told Emmett that they got lost and finally found their way back.

This was the first time they had ever talked about it since they discovered it all those years ago. If they talked about it, it would've ruined the magic of the meadow.

"I wonder if it's still there," he said.

"It is," she cringed after the words left her mouth. She was glad he couldn't see her face.

"How do you know?" He turned his face toward her, but he still couldn't see her.

Bella closed her eyes, fighting off the embarrassment she felt creeping in. "I'm sure it still is. I don't think anyone's found it yet. I mean, I would've heard something." She couldn't very well tell him that she would go there by herself when Edward had left.

He chuckled. "Not necessarily. If it's as beautiful as I remember, I wouldn't tell anyone about it."

She opened her eyes. "Yeah, I guess."

"So. . . who's Mr. Dazzling?"

Bella stifled a groan. She did not want to explain how he got the nickname. It was given to him by a freshman Bree when he was a senior.

"It's not Jacob, is it?" His voice was so low that she almost didn't hear him.

She let out a small laugh. "No, it's not Jacob."

"Then who?"

"It's no one."

Before she knew what was happening, Edward had shot off the bed with her still on him. It looked like he was giving her a harmless piggy back ride, but the way he gripped her arm that was around his neck and how he hitched one of her legs over his hip, told Bella that he was not going to be gentle.

"Edward, what are you doing?" she asked in a panic.

"Are you going to tell me?" His tone was final.

She tried to wiggle out of his grip without success. "What are you going to do?"

He made a move to the door. "We've got this jacuzzi in the back. . ."

"You wouldn't!" Bella tried to push off, but his grip was firm.

"Or we could wrestle," he said in a half playful, half serious tone.

Bella couldn't help laughing. "I'm not Emmett!"

"True, but it always seemed to settle things pretty fair and square between us." When Bella didn't say anything, he continued, "If you win, you don't have to tell me and I'm sure you'd let Emmett know you kicked my ass which would be a humiliation I would never live down." His grip behind her knee tightened. "But if I win, not only do you have to tell me who Mr. Dazzling is, but you'll also have to explain why you chose each song for his playlist."

Bella knew there was no way she could physically beat Edward at wrestling. Emmett taught her that if she was faced with someone who was stronger than her to fight dirty. No matter what.

The arm that she had under Edward's was pinned against his body. Instead of fighting to get it out, Bella snaked it under his shirt and ran her hand up his bare chest.

Edward almost lost his grip on Bella, but recovered. His voice stammered. "What are you doing?"

"Edward," she said in a low voice. Then she rubbed the tip of her nose behind his ear almost losing herself in his scent.

"Bella?" He barely managed to say.

She let her lips touch his ear while she whispered, "Do you really want to know who he is?"

The hand that had been drawing circles on his chest, grazed a lazy line down his stomach and settled right below his belly button.

"Edward?" She breathed into his ear.

He felt her lips again on his ear and he was desperately trying not to think where her hand was going. There was a dull warning in the back of his mind that he should stop Bella, but the feelings from the dream this morning had returned and he didn't want her to stop.

"Edward?" She asked again.

"What were you talking about?" He lost the thread of the conversation when he felt Bella press her body against his back.

Bella didn't think it would be this easy to distract him. She was expecting more resistance and was a little disappointed there would be none. She tested things out by moving her legs and Edward let her go and set her down.

He turned around and he had an intense expression in his eyes.

Bella wanted to step back, but the bed was right behind her. She swallowed hard and said, "I didn't think it would be that easy."

"What would be so easy?" He played with the end of a strand of hair tucked behind her ear.

She hesitated for a second before she said, "To distract you."

He processed what Bella said and when the realization hit him, he dropped the strand of her hair and his eyes widened. "You mean it was all a trick?"

She gave him a sheepish smile. "I knew my chances wrestling you were slim to none, so I had to try something else."

He blinked several times and his mouth was partly open. He couldn't find the words to describe what a cruel thing it was to do. So, instead he hauled her over his shoulder and started toward the door.

Bella yelped and said, "What are you doing?"

"You need to get in the the jacuzzi to cool off."

The threat caused Bella to straighten up. At that moment, Edward was just about to walk through the door when Bella hit her head on the door frame.

"Ow!" She rubbed the back of her head.

Edward backed away from the door, he looked up at her, and in a concerned tone said, "Are you alright?"

She wanted to scream no and that he was an idiot, but since she was no longer slung over his shoulder, in a fit of anger, she wrapped her legs around his chest and forced him backward.

Instead of falling on his back, like she had hoped, Edward stumbled and managed to fall on the bed.

They both let out grunts when they tumbled onto it. This time Bella was on top of him.

She cursed before she said, "That hurt!"

Edward was gentle when he flipped her on her back, making sure to keep one hand behind her head. With his other hand, he swept the hair away from her face, titled it to the side, and gently prodded the back of her head. Bella hissed when he found the tender spot that was knocked on the door frame.

"I don't think there will be any permanent damage." He had a small smile on his lips. "You have an exceptionally hard head."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

"This Mr. Dazzling must be someone pretty important to you if you're willing to go through bodily harm to protect his identity."

She blinked several times.

"You thought I forgot?" He had a smug smile on his face.

She let out a short sigh. "Why are you so curious?"

The smug smile quickly disappeared. He picked up a strand of her hair again. "I guess it's really none of my business, is it?"

She let out a small laugh. "You'd be shocked to know who it was."

His eyes widened. "Is it Emmett?"

"No!" She couldn't help laughing this time.

"Then who is it?"

She shook her head.

"Bella," he said in a low voice. He had been laying on his side next to Bella, but then he shifted his body so that his upper half was pressed against her.

Her eyes widened in response. "Edward? What are you-"

He dipped his head down and traced a line down her neck with the tip of his nose. "Two can play at this game," he said in a low voice.

_Oh no,_ she thought. She stifled a moan when she felt his lips brush against the base of her neck. "This is ridiculous," she barely managed to say.

He placed a hand on her hip and he was a little surprised that she didn't need any coaxing to move closer to him.

"Edward," she barely managed to say when she felt his fingertips brush the skin under the hem of her shirt.

Their breaths were ragged. Edward lifted his head from the crook of her neck and they stared at each other, wondering how they got to this point.

Before anything else happened, there was a distinct cough at the doorway.

Edward cursed to himself and then in a louder voice said, "Dad." He didn't bother looking up.

"Am I interrupting something?" There was humor in his voice.

Edward was about to say yes, but Bella was quick to say, "No." She scrambled away from Edward and gave Carlisle a nervous smile.

"I just came to let Edward know that it's almost time for him to take me to the airport." He gave them a small smile before he said, "What was all the noise earlier?"

Edward sat up and in a matter-of-fact tone said, "We were wrestling."

Carlisle raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that what you kids call it these days?"

Edward rolled his eyes and Bella felt her cheeks burn.

Carlisle laughed and said, "Well, when you're done wrestling, will you take me to the airport? We've got to leave in ten minutes if I'm going to make the flight."

Edward gave his dad a reluctant smile. "Yeah, just give me a minute."

Carlisle gave Bella a good natured smile. "It was nice seeing you, Bella. And don't let my wayward son get away with too much."

Bella knew she must look like a tomato. She only managed to yelp a bye before Carlisle disappeared.

Edward turned to look at her. "Will you be here when I get back?"

She lowered her chin. "I was actually planning on moving. I hear there's a rock that's perfect for me."

He lifted her chin back up. "There's no reason to be embarrassed."

Bella rolled her eyes. She was mortified by the fact that she was enjoying what was happening and Carlisle had seen just how much she liked it.

"Bella?"

She checked her watch. "Actually, I have to be at work soon."

His expression was anxious. "When will you be home from work?"

"I have class afterward, so I won't be back until late this evening." She was anxious too. "Then we have to go to the hotel for the wedding dinner."

"I forgot about that." Edward thought for a minute and then said, "Will you be stopping here after class or going straight to the hotel?"

"Alice insisted that I stop here first." She hesitated before she said, "She wants me to change before we go."

His eyebrows shot up. "Change? Why?"

"Alice said that when we got there, I'll be glad that I did."

He smiled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was trying to set us up on a date."

Bella chuckled. "She was adamant that she hadn't planned for this to happen."

"Edward?" Carlisle called from the other room.

"I'll be right there," he called back. He looked at Bella. "So, I guess I won't see you until tonight?"

She nodded.

He looked at her and then at the door, back and forth several times, trying to decide something. After a minute, he kissed her on the cheek and said, "I'll see you tonight."

He got up and walked to the door and smiled at her before he was gone.

Bella jumped in her place when she heard the front door shut. She was in such a daze. She looked at her watch again. She really had to get to school soon. She still had to work on her paper, but she was really eager to tell Angela about all the wrestling they did.

/??/

Bella's mind was a flurry of varying thoughts. She barely finished her paper before it was time for her to go to work and she had to cancel her lunch with Angela because she needed to put in the final touches before she printed it out. Angela suspected something was up with her, so while they worked, Angela cornered her in one of the stacks and asked her what was up.

Bella explained what happened this morning with the Mr. Dazzling playlist, wrestling, and the attempts to distract the other person about the truth of Mr. Dazzling's identity. Angela listened with eager interest and when Bella finished retelling the events, Angela took a moment to process the information.

"Well?" Bella asked in an anxious tone.

A small smile tugged at the bottom of Angela's mouth. "You guys need to wrestle more often."

"Angela!"

"Bella, last night you said you just wanted to be friends, and this morning you told me that you guys practically rolled around in bed with your hands on each other."

"That's not-"

Angela held up her hand. "You guys seriously need to lock the door next time so you won't be interrupted."

"I can't believe-"

Angela let out a frustrated sigh. "Whatever. Tell me when you're done with denial because once you guys get over that, things should be way more interesting."

Bella was taken aback by Angela's comments.

Angela was not normally so blunt and she gave Bella an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. That was out of line."

Bella nodded, but didn't say anything else.

After a moment, she said, "Was it like this before I got with Ben?"

Bella looked away. "What do you mean?"

"Bella, don't lie. I'm sure I was pretty frustrating to be around when I wasn't sure if Ben wanted to go out with me."

"No, it wasn't." Bella tried to sound convincing, but she didn't think she accomplished it.

"You're a good friend. And I'm going to tell you what you told me."

Bella looked at Angela and waited for her to continue.

"Just take a chance. At least then you won't be always left wondering."

They didn't get to talk about it anymore because the librarian found them and said that there were more books that needed to be put back on the shelves. It was the week before finals, so the library was pretty busy.

When it was Bella's break time, she checked her phone and saw that their was a message from Alice. She listened and Alice told her that she wanted Bella to make sure to stop by her house to pick up a pair of black heels on the way back to the Cullens' house. Bella called Alice back to ask why she needed heels and Alice explained that it was going to go with her outfit that she was wearing to dinner tonight. Bella was going to ask about the outfit, but Alice cut the conversation short, saying she had to get back to work.

She had just picked up the shoes from her house and was on her way back to the Cullens'. Class was a blur, but she turned in her paper only to be assigned another. The good thing was that it was a take home final and all they had to do was to turn it in and they were done with the class.

She parked her car in front of the garage and entered the back door to the house. She went to the guest room to put her stuff down when _I'm Just a Girl_ went off on her cell phone.

Bella answered it. "Alice, I just walked into your house. Will you give me a minute to breathe?"

Alice laughed. "Breathe all you want, but you need to start getting ready."

Bella checked the time. "There's still an hour and a half until dinner."

"I know. It's not much time, but it should be enough."

_Should be enough?_ Bella thought. All she had to do was change. What else could she possibly have to do?

"Go up to my room and pull out the top and skirt I want you to wear."

"Hold on." Bella left the guest room and climbed the stairs to get to Alice's room.

"Are you there yet?" Alice asked.

Bella had just opened the door to her room. "Okay. I'm in." She went to the closet and opened the double doors. "Gees, Alice. I can't believe you."

It took several minutes for Bella to find what Alice wanted her to wear. When she was done, she took the clothes and started walking out of Alice's room.

"Before you leave go to my bathroom."

"What for?"

"I want you to get the heated hair rollers, so you can put them in your hair."

"Alice, we're just going to eat. I don't need my hair curled for that."

"When you get to the Edgewater, you'll see what I'm talking about. It's really an upscale place. You'll be glad that you put some effort into how you look."

"I guess so." Bella picked up the container that held the curlers. With that and the clothes in her arms, she walked back down to the guest room while she balanced the phone in between her ear and shoulder.

"Besides, I'm sure Edward would appreciate it too."

"Alice, what are you up to?"

"Nothing."

Bella hung the top and skirt in the closet of the guest room and went to the bathroom to plug in the curlers.

"Oh, and Edward left me a message. He wants to know who Mr. Dazzling is."

Bella almost tripped on her way out the bathroom. "What?"

"I haven't had a chance to call him back, but I thought that was weird that he asked. Isn't that the name Bree-"

"Don't tell him!"

"What's the big deal? Did something happen?"

Bella stood in the middle of the guest room with her head in one of her hands. "Sort of." Bella told Alice that Edward had seen her playlist entitled "Mr. Dazzling" and had asked her who it was.

Alice laughed. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"Um, because that would be humiliating."

"No, it wouldn't. I think he'd like that."

"He'd think I was crazy."

"Why would that be crazy? He has a playlist for you."

Bella's heart flipped in her chest and she had to catch her breath. "Shut up!"

Alice laughed again. "He doesn't know that I know. At least, I'm pretty sure it's about you."

"What makes you think it's about me?"

"Well, I wasn't sure before. I mean, it's labeled _Beautiful_. I thought he was just being emo or something, but it makes sense now."

This time Bella laughed. "That's not me."

"Um, don't you know what your name means in Italian?"

Bella opened her mouth to contradict Alice, but she couldn't. Her mom used to sometimes call her Beautiful when she was a kid. She'd tell her mom that her name was Bella and her mom told her her name meant beautiful in Italian. Bella was stunned. Could it be possible that Edward had a playlist for her?

"So, are you going to tell him about Mr. Dazzling?" Alice asked.

Bella blinked a few times, coming out of her daze. "I don't know."

"I think you should."

"Maybe."

"You should start getting ready. If you need to borrow some make-up, I have some in my bathroom. But make sure to put some lip gloss on."

"Okay."

"And I want a picture before you leave, so I can see the final product."

"Sure."

Alice hesitated before she said, "Bella, did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah. Make-up, lip gloss, and picture before I leave."

It was Alice's turned to be stunned. "You're not going to argue with me about the make-up?"

Bella shifted in her spot. "No."

"Oh," Alice sounded surprised.

"Well, I better get going."

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

They hung-up. Bella threw her phone on the bed and went back upstairs to get some of Alice's make-up. Alice got so many free samples from work that it was insane how much she had laying around.

Normally, she would've put up more of a fight with Alice, but if what Alice said was true, then Bella wanted to look good tonight. She didn't care about where they were going, but if Edward truly thought she was beautiful, she wanted to feel beautiful.

Once she picked up the stuff she needed, she left Alice's room and made her way downstairs. When she reached the kitchen, she saw that Edward was sitting on the couch, flipping through different channels. When he heard Bella walk in, he shut off the TV and stood up and turned around.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey, I didn't know you were home."

"I just got back. I was out having lunch and then stopped to get coffee."

"Wow, it must be nice to be a man of leisure."

He let out a small laugh. "I worked really hard on my write up this morning, so I thought I deserved a break."

"Are you done?"

"Almost. I'll work on it after dinner." He saw the make-up in her hands. "Is that for tonight?"

Bella willed herself not to blush. "Yeah. Alice said I needed to put a little effort into my appearance for dinner tonight."

His eyebrows shot-up. "Any particular reason?"

She shrugged. "I guess the place we're going to is really fancy and she said I'd feel better if I looked my best."

"That won't be too hard to do."

Bella felt her heart skip, but kept her emotions in check.

"Not everyone is naturally gifted with good looks. It takes effort for us mere mortals to look even halfway decent compared to people like you." Her tone was teasing.

Edward's mouth had slightly parted, but he was quick to recover. "You got it wrong."

Bella's brow wrinkled.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Your beauty doesn't take any effort at all."

Bella looked away, but she couldn't help smiling. Then she said, "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get me in a good mood. Is there something I should know about tonight? Alice didn't plan any surprises, did she?"

By this time, Edward had walked around the couch and was standing in front of Bella. "Not that I'm aware of."

Bella looked up and saw that he had a amused look on his face. She said, "Of course, you wouldn't tell me. You're very loyal to Alice."

He held his hands up. "I swear. I know as much as you do."

She squinted an eye at him in a playful way as if she were deciding if he was being truthful. After a moment she smiled and said, "Alright, but just remember, I know your weakness and I can get the truth out of you one way or another."

He took a step toward her. "My weakness?"

"You shouldn't have told me you can't say no to me," she gave him a teasing smile.

Instantly, Edward felt a flame burst in his chest. "If you know that's true about me then," his eyes lingered on face before he said, "you also know that it wouldn't take much effort to get what you want."

Bella blinked several times. How did things go from playful to smoldering so fast? She'd never experienced so many conflicting emotions in one conversation. Before she talked to Angela and Alice, she would've thought Edward was teasing her, but now, with the burning intensity in his eyes, she wasn't sure. He was trying to be playful, but the emotion in his eyes betrayed him and Bella realized he was being serious.

Edward saw her hesitation and realized he had caused her discomfort. He had crossed a line that made her uncomfortable and he regretted it.

He cleared his throat and said, "You'd better get ready. I'm sure Alice is going to call for an update."

She shook her head, clearing the fog. "Right, she wanted a picture of me before we went out for dinner."

Edward's brows shot up. "A picture?"

Bella let out a small laugh. "I guess she wants to make sure I listened to her."

He smiled and right then his phone went off. He checked the caller ID before he answered it.

"Hi, Alice," he said. He gave Bella a good natured smile, but then it disappeared when he said, "What do you mean, what am I going to wear to dinner tonight?"

Bella grinned and waved before she disappeared into the guest room. She went to the bathroom. The curlers were hot and she proceeded to roll her hair. She couldn't help feeling giddy at the idea of going out with Edward even though it wasn't technically a date.

/??/

Edward stared at his computer screen not really reading what was on it. True to his word, he started working on the write up after dinner. Well, he attempted to at least. He checked the time and realized he had been sitting in front of his screen for the last fifteen minutes.

He pushed away his laptop from him which was on his desk and sat back in his chair. He wasn't sure how Bella felt, but he looked forward to spending time with her and had a difficult time accepting that the evening had ended.

When Alice had called him, she was checking if he had decided what to wear for dinner. He was slightly put out that she would micro manage something like this, but when she mentioned that she picked out Bella's outfit, he was more open to listening to her suggestions. It wasn't that Bella was a bad dresser, but whenever Alice had a say in what Bella wore, he always had a hard time tearing his eyes away from her.

Alice had decided that Edward should wear his dark wash jeans with a button-down charcoal shirt. The shirt was a gift from Alice which was part of a set that she'd had tailor-made for him. He was surprised that she had chosen jeans for him to wear, but she said that the dark wash was not as casual as regular jeans and that they were flattering on him. When he put the outfit on, he had to give Alice credit. It was a simple outfit, but complimented him very well.

When he had finished getting ready, he went downstairs to wait for Bella. He waited in the living room and turned on the TV. He really wasn't interested in anything, but needed something to distract him from the nervous tension he felt. He didn't know why he felt this way. It wasn't technically a date because they were going out as a favor for Alice, but all the other feelings associated with a first date were there: anxiety, curiosity, and anticipation.

Bella emerged from the guest room just a few minutes later. She was trying to stuff things in a tiny purse, so she didn't notice Edward at first. But he certainly noticed her and stood up.

Alice knew exactly how to play up Bella's beauty. The skirt she wore hugged her body in all the right places and showed enough leg to tease the admirer. The heels that strapped around her ankles added to the enticing length of her legs. The top was a bold ruby color, not normally a color she'd wear, but striking against her fair skin. Her top revealed her decolletage and bare arms.

And her hair. It was slightly tousled and flowed in waves around her shoulders. For some reason, Edward couldn't help imagining how she'd look unclothed with her hair spilling over her shoulders like that.

Once she finished stuffing her purse, she looked up at him. Her expression was one of surprise, but she quickly erased it and gave him a warm smile. She said, "You look very. . . nice." It sounded like she was going to say something else, but settled for the that word.

Edward smiled and said, "And you look more than nice."

He saw a faint blush spread across her cheeks which pleased him.

They left for dinner and arrived at the hotel about twenty-five minutes later. The Edgewater was a waterfront hotel overlooking Puget Sound. The hotel had elements of Pacific Northwest details such as stone fireplaces and honey-colored wood for the floors and ceilings. There was a view of the Olympic mountains in addition to the bay. There was also an urban feel to the ambiance as well. The tables in the dining room were covered in white cloth and bamboo chairs were used for seating. The doorways to the balcony were swathed with white fabric and it was lined with glass partitions so that the view of the water would not be obstructed.

Alice had chosen well and Bella was glad for taking her advice. However, the atmosphere of the hotel was all lost on Edward.

Bella drove him to distraction. She had called Alice to let her know that they were at the hotel and had ended up spending most of the time talking to her on the phone. He wasn't bothered by it very much because it allowed him to observe her.

At one point, she had asked to borrow his cell phone because the battery on hers was running low. He almost missed the question because he was distracted by the way she'd lick her lips after she took a bite of the food they had been served.

When they were done with the meal, they left the hotel and returned home. However, Bella's conversation with Alice carried on through the car ride until they got home. Alice was tenacious in her endeavor to get all the details about the food, the setting, and if he heard correctly, Alice asked Bella how the dining room looked when the natural lighting was gone. Alice was relentless, but Bella bore it all with an equanimity that was beyond even Edward's tolerance.

Before the end of the conversation, Alice reminded Bella of her final bridesmaid fitting the next day. Edward was to accompany her, but Alice, wanting another female opinion, asked Bella if it would be possible to ask Angela to go as well. Bella said she'd ask Angela if she was free, but she couldn't make any guarantees.

Once Bella ended her conversation with Alice, Bella turned in for the evening. He really couldn't blame her after the interrogation Alice put her through.

Edward stood up from his desk and stretched. He was filled with restless energy and he thought working on his write up would help, but he couldn't concentrate. He thought about going out for a run, but it was late and he didn't like the idea of leaving Bella alone even if it was just for a little while.

He didn't have a television in his room because he wasn't home often enough, so he decided to go downstairs to watch _Sports Center_ before turning in. Sports statistics and scores always seemed to have a calming effect. Since he already had his pajama bottoms on, he went to grab a shirt before going downstairs.

Before he could get it, he saw that Bella was standing at his doorway.

He looked at her with a surprised expression. "How long have you been standing there?"

Bella shifted in her spot. "I just got here." She actually would've made her presence known sooner, but got distracted by him standing up to stretch. It usually was a harmless gesture, but because he chest was bare, Bella could see the definition of his muscles while they were stretched taut.

Her mouth went dry.

She hesitated before she took a step into his room. "I thought you might want this back." She held out his cell phone to him.

He crossed the room to take it from her. "Thanks."

He had a small smile on his mouth and she realized that it probably could've waited until morning. Downstairs it had seemed so important to get his phone back to him. She thought that his parents might want to get a hold of him in case of an emergency.

She just realized they could've easily call the house phone if they couldn't get him on his cell.

She wanted to kick herself for not thinking it through.

Bella said, "Well, you're probably busy. It looks like you're working on your write up." She nodded toward his open lap top.

He walked over and set his phone on his desk next to his computer. Then he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I was." She didn't need to know that he was distracted. It didn't help that she came up to his room in just his football shirt.

"Well, I'll let you get back to it."

"Thanks for bringing my phone back."

They stood there for a moment before Bella turned to leave. She got as far as the doorway and stopped. She stood with her back toward him.

"Bella?"

It was a moment before she turned around. "I was just thinking. . . if you're working on your write up. . ."

He took step forward. "Yeah?"

"You'll be up anyway, right?"

He nodded.

"Well, I was going to be up reading for my final. And. . ." She looked down at her hands laced together. She finally looked up and said, "I thought maybe I could come up here and read while you worked."

Edward's eyebrows shot up.

Bella held up her hands. "It's okay. I just thought – never mind." She turned to go.

"Wait, Bella." He went to follow her.

She turned around as he reached the doorway.

He said, "That'd be okay with me."

Bella hesitated before she said, "You don't have to say yes. I just. . . I'm used to Emmett just being down the hall. I know it's silly."

"No, it's not." He couldn't help being a little disappointed that she didn't want to stay with him for another reason. "If you want to get your book and come back, I'll be here." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Alright." She returned the smile and went downstairs to get her book.

The truth of the matter was she missed Edward. Even though they were together the whole evening, she felt like she had not really spent time with him. She had been on the phone most of the time with Alice and she would've liked to have been able to have some time to talk to Edward. She loved Alice, but couldn't help being a little frustrated by her friend's attention to details for the food and the dining room. Bella thought that Alice wanted to help her with Edward and the one time Bella was open to it, Alice seemed oblivious to it tonight. She realized that Alice was probably really worried about the wedding if she didn't pick up on the potential the evening could have brought.

She found her book and shut the light off in the guest room. She had to pace herself so it didn't seem like she was in a rush to get back. She stopped in the kitchen for two water bottles before she went back to Edward's room.

When she got there, Edward had returned to his desk and was typing away on the computer.

She placed the water bottle at the edge of his desk. "I thought you might like one."

"Thanks." He didn't look up from his computer.

Bella put hers on the night table next to his bed. Then she sat down and opened her book. The only sound was the tapping of Edward's keyboard.

After a moment of this, Edward said, "You know, you handled Alice pretty well." He didn't stop working.

She looked up from her book. "Thanks. I didn't think she'd ever let up."

He let out a small laugh. "Do you think she'll be just as bad tomorrow for the fitting?"

"I hope not. I mean, she's already seen the dress. But then again, it's a good idea if Angela comes with us. Alice probably wouldn't believe me if I said things were fine."

"What? She doesn't trust your judgment?" He said in a teasing manner.

"Not when it comes to dresses, but I can't really blame her. When she had me go through her closet, I couldn't tell the difference between the skirts she wanted me to wear."

"What were the other choices?"

"One had a flounce like she said and the other was a mini-skirt."

He raised an eyebrow even though Bella couldn't see his face. "A mini-skirt?" It was a male reflex.

Bella chuckled. "There was no way I was getting into that. I barely got into the one I wore tonight. Alice is shorter than me. The mini-skirt would've been indecent."

Edward cleared his throat. "Yeah, that would be terrible." Although he didn't sound sincere at all.

Bella looked back down at her book, but in less than a minute, she couldn't help looking up and watched Edward while he typed. He was still shirtless and she could not drag her eyes away. It didn't happen often, but when he stopped typing to use the mouse pad on his laptop, the muscles in his back would flex slightly.

She swallowed hard. It was a good thing she brought a water bottle up with her. She picked it up and took a sip.

After Bella had gone downstairs to get her book, Edward returned his attention to his write up. He needed something to occupy his hands. He knew that she slept in his shirt, but seeing her wearing it was a whole different matter. He tried not to dwell on it, but he couldn't help wondering if she actually wore the blue lace panties under his shirt. His typing became more vigorous and in an effort to block the image out his mind, Edward said, "So, have you heard from Emmett?"

"Actually, I haven't." Bella put the cap back on the bottle. "It's weird. Whenever he's away, he always calls to check in."

"I'm sure he's just busy."

Bella couldn't help letting a small laugh escape. "You're probably right."

"What's so funny?"

She hesitated before she said, "Rosalie was supposed to surprise him."

He stopped typing and turned his head to look at her. "Really?" He turned back to face the screen and chuckled. "That would explain things then."

"What do you mean?"

"Knowing your brother and Rosalie, they probably-" He shifted in his spot and hesitated before he continued, "I'm sure they've been spending a lot of time getting to know each other."

Bella let out a small snort. "Are you forgetting that Emmett's my brother? Poor Rosalie."

"Poor Rosalie?" Edward stopped typing and turned around. "Emmett never stood a chance."

Bella's brow wrinkled. "Emmett's not very subtle. I'm sure she was putt off by his. . . by him."

Edward laughed. "Emmett doesn't have to be subtle with Rosalie. If anything, Rosalie. . . she's quite determined when she. . . has her sights on something or someone in this case."

"She seemed really nervous about meeting Emmett while he was there."

"Did she?" He thought about it for a minute. "That doesn't sound like Rosalie."

"Why wouldn't she be nervous?"

"Rosalie has never been nervous about anything. She's really confident and she's used to getting what she wants."

"You make her sound. . . aggressive."

"She is!" Edward looked at her with amusement.

Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you talking from experience?"

He blinked at her several times before he said, "Maybe."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You and Rosalie. . ."

He held up his hands. "No. We only went out a couple of times."

"Then how do you know that she. . ."

Edward let out a short breath. He hesitated before he said, "She was really determined to. . . see if we were compatible."

Bella's mouth dropped.

He held up his hands. "But, nothing happened."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Nothing?"

He shrugged.

"Is she a good kisser?"

He shifted in his spot. "I can't talk about that."

"Why not?"

"Bella! That's weird."

"I was just curious. She's beautiful, so I wouldn't be surprised if she is."

Edward had a small frown on his face. He turned back to his screen and continued typing.

Bella returned her attention back to her book. She felt her throat start to close up. Edward's lack of response confirmed what she thought. It was her fault for asking, but she had to know. She felt stupid. Rosalie could probably light a guy on fire. She was sure her skill level the day before with Edward probably was the equivalent of a lighter that only sparked and couldn't produce any flame whatsoever.

She decided that she should go back downstairs. Bella was overcome with feelings of inadequacy. She felt stupid for getting her hopes up.

She was about to move off the bed, when Edward said, "If you think looks are connected to how well a person kisses, then you must be one hell of a kisser."

Bella blinked several times. Edward was still typing and hadn't turned around. His voice was so low, she wasn't sure if she was supposed to have heard that.

She wasn't sure what she should do. It had been such a long day. She was tired, and she couldn't concentrate on her book. She thought her initial decision to go back downstairs was correct if only to collect herself. She wondered if Edward thought about her in that way. It was almost too much to bear.

She said, "So how much longer are you going to be?"

There was a brief pause in his typing, but then he continued. "Um, I don't know. Why?"

"I was just wondering when I should go back downstairs."

This time he stopped typing and turned around again. Bella had propped herself on his bed and was sitting against the headboard. He willed his eyes not to stare at her bare legs.

He hesitated before he said, "You're leaving?"

"Well, I'm sure you're going to go to sleep eventually, so I thought once you were ready for bed, I should go back to my own."

"I thought you didn't like being alone downstairs."

She looked down at her book and played with the edges of the pages. "I don't. It's just that. . ."

"What?" He gave her a concerned look.

She slept downstairs by herself before when Edward wasn't here, so it shouldn't have made a difference. But it did because now she knew what it was like to be in his arms, sleeping, and she couldn't help hoping it would happen again.

She let out a deep breath before she said, "Well, the first night I was here, I slept in your bed which was nice. The next night, we fell asleep together." She realized that she may have said too much and added, "Then last night, I knew you were sleeping on the couch which is just outside the guest room."

Edward turned in his chair to face her and waited for her to continue.

She shifted in her spot and after a moment she said, "I've gotten used to having you close by at night." She looked at him. "I just wanted to stay until you were done, then I could go to sleep."

Edward's mouth hung open, but he collected himself and said, "You don't have to go back downstairs if you don't want to."

Her brow wrinkled. "But what about you?"

"I can sleep on the couch, or," he looked at her for a moment before he said, "I can stay here with you."

Bella's brow was smooth, but she swallowed hard. "Stay?"

"Only if you want me to."

Bella looked down at her book again and started folding and unfolding the corner of the page. "Like the other night when you stayed."

"Yeah."

She looked up at him and saw that he was watching her, waiting for her to answer. "I don't want you to think this is something you have to do. I mean, if Emmett were here, he'd say I was a big girl and I was being silly."

"Well, Emmett's not here." He gave her a small smile.

She didn't know why but that statement gave Bella a small thrill. She immediately pushed it down not wanting to get carried away with it.

Edward took her silence as discomfort. She looked like she was contemplating something. He realized maybe she was trying to figure out a way to tell him that she didn't want him in the same bed as her, but was trying to figure out a way to let him down nicely.

They talked at the same time.

"Bella, it's okay if you don't-"

"I'd like you to stay."

Edward looked at her with surprised expression. "What?"

It took some effort for Bella to repeat herself. "I'd like you to stay."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

They stared at each other for half a minute.

Then she said, "You probably should get back to work."

"I think I'm done for the night." He didn't even look back at his computer.

"Oh." After a second, Bella shut her book and put it on the night stand.

It was another thirty seconds before Edward said, "You're sleeping on my side."

Bella blinked and then laughed. "Sorry." She moved over to the right side of the bed.

Edward snapped his laptop shut and went to turn off the overhead light before he came to bed. Bella had turned down the covers and was already underneath them.

He sat down and turned to face her. "Would you like to borrow a pair of shorts?"

Her brow creased. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I thought you'd be more comfortable that way."

She couldn't help laughing. "Well, actually, I'm more comfortable without them."

He turned away and said, "Of course." He reached for the night light and shut it off, then he got into bed and pulled the covers over him.

They laid in the dark quietly for a few minutes. This time was different than the last and neither were sure why. The moonlight cast a soft glow in the room and it was quiet outside. It was actually very relaxing, but there was a charge in the air that both of them could feel.

After a moment, Bella said, "Do you usually sleep without a shirt?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Bella shrugged even though she knew he couldn't see. "Emmett sleeps with a shirt on with his pajama pants."

"Oh." After a second he said, "Do you want me to put on a shirt?"

"No." She cleared her throat before she said, "I mean, you don't have to do that. If that's how you usually sleep."

He didn't say anything, so she figured that maybe he was drifting off to sleep.

After a moment, Edward said, "Are you still awake?"

"Yes," she said.

They laughed, but it was strained.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" he asked.

"Yes. I don't know why. I'm actually tired, but. . . I can't seem to turn off my brain."

"Yeah. Me, too," he said.

"How did we fall asleep last time?"

It was quiet for a moment before Edward said, "We were talking, and you started to drift off. And. . ."

He didn't need to say the rest. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

The charge in the room was becoming unbearable.

"Maybe I should go back to the guest room."

"Or I could go sleep on the couch."

But neither of them moved to leave.

Bella said, "This is silly." She turned on her side to face him. "We should be able to just fall asleep, right?"

Edward mumbled a yes.

"Okay." Bella adjusted her pillow and settled in her place. "Good night, Edward."

Edward didn't move from his spot. "Night, Bella."

He turned his head to look at her and could make out her outline. He studied her for a minute and saw that she was laying on her side, but her eyes were closed.

He watched her until he saw that her breathing was steady. He reached for her hand and brought it to him. When she didn't wake up, he lifted his arm and gently pulled her to him so that her head was on his chest.

Her breath was warm on his bare skin. The sensations her breath created made him realize that he probably should've put a shirt on. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

After a moment, she said, "Edward?"

His eye flew open and his body tensed. "Bella?"

"This is nice."

He relaxed a little.

In a low, voice she continued, "I might get used to this."

He smiled in the dark and said, "I'm alright with that."

The charge in the air had dwindled down to a hum. When he felt Bella's breath become steady again, he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. He was quick to fall asleep after that.

Bella hadn't completely fallen asleep and she woke up when she felt Edward kiss the top of her head. She wondered if it was the beginning of something more, but when his breathing became even and his heart beat slowed, she realized he had fallen asleep.

She felt a little disappointed, but she really couldn't stay upset for very long. She was in Edward's arms again and she reveled in the fact that he didn't seem to mind at all.

/??/

_End Note: My beta vjgm mentioned that people might be curious as to what's on Mr. Dazzling's playlist. If you're really that curious, you can go back to the previous (and see in future) chapters the song lyrics included before each one. Those would be some of the song's on Mr. Dazzling's playlist. (I bet you all thought they were just random music lyrics, but it's actually Bella obsessing over Edward! hee hee.)_


	10. Chapter 10: Experience

_A/N: Wow! You guys are wonderful. Thank you for the fabulous reviews and being so understanding. The first week back at work has been tiring, and I've been struggling all week to get this chapter out. (I've been practically passing out and going to bed in the evenings after work!) :) _

_I also wanted to give a special thank you to edwardsmyangel. She went through the previous chapter quotes and compiled a Mr. Dazzling playlist over at youtube. If you'd like to hear some of the songs that Bella has compiled over the years that remind her of Edward, the link to the playlist is in my profile._

_And another special thanks to spotzle and vjgm for their awesome beta skills. Between kids going back to school and taking a holiday out of town, they still managed to beta this chapter in a timely manner. _

_Note: This chapter is **+11, 000 words**. Just in case, you know, you had something more important to do. :)_

**Chapter 10 "Experience"**

_Oh, why can't I ignore it?_

_I keep giving in, but I should know better._

_'Cause there was something 'bout the way you looked at me._

_And it's strange that things change._

_But not me wanting you._

_So desperately._

- "Desperately" by Michelle Branch

For once, Edward was glad that he didn't have shades covering his windows. It wasn't like the blinding light that usually woke him in the mornings, but there was enough light to cast a hushed brilliance in the room. In fact, he would normally be asleep right now if it hadn't been for the fact that Bella was with him.

He woke up because she stirred in his arms. It happened frequently through the night. He'd move, thinking that she needed more space, but Bella would only move closer.

He remembered from the last time she stirred that she had turned away. He was sad for the loss of contact, but Bella had said his name in her sleep, so he moved behind her and draped his arm around her. She let out a contented sigh and was deep in sleep again. It took Edward a moment to fall back asleep, happy that she enjoyed their closeness as much he did.

This time with the light spilling into his room, he could see her. He propped his head up with his free arm and looked at Bella. Her hair was a haystack, so he gently brushed some of it away from her face. Her brow was smooth and she had a serene expression on her face.

When his eyes wandered down the length of her, he saw that the covers had been kicked down. He was careful when he let go of Bella and reached down for the covers to pull them back up. When he started to pull the covers up, his eyes strayed on Bella's bare legs and then they widened when they caught the hem of her shirt.

Just below the hem, a sliver of midnight blue lace peeked out.

He raked his hand through his hair and pulled the covers up over Bella. He laid back down, making sure to put some distance between them. He was on his back with one arm draped over his eyes.

He had to get out of bed. _Right now. _

His mind kept shouting at him to leave, but his body wouldn't move. It was becoming unbearable laying next to her, and being unable to do what he wanted. The right thing to do would be to leave Bella now and let her sleep. It's what he did when they'd last slept in the same bed and nothing happened.

Well, not really anyway.

Last time, he woke up before her. He had been watching her sleep and was in the same situation where he was deciding whether or not to leave. He had smoothed away an errant piece of hair from her face and had lightly grazed her cheek. It brought a small smile to her lips which captivated Edward. He he had decided to stay, but then Alice found him and told him their parents needed to talk to them.

But Alice wasn't here. No one was.

He wasn't sure if he was thrilled or horrified by the idea because there wasn't anyone to stop him this time.

He decided that he had to leave. He'd never forgive himself for taking advantage of Bella this way. Emmett would break him in half.

But before he could move, Bella said in a drowsy voice, "Edward?"

He raised his arm off his face and said, "I'm here." He turned on his side.

Bella flipped on her back and then turned on her side to face him. She moved closer to him.

Her eyes were still shut as she mumbled, "It's cold." Then she buried her face in his neck and wrapped an arm around him.

Edward pulled the comforter so it came over her shoulders. With that adjustment, it seemed to free up more space between them, and Bella moved closer, dipping one of her knees between his legs.

It was as if Bella could read his mind that he was getting ready to leave. Now she was doing everything she could to keep him there. It was bittersweet torture.

He held her, listening to her steady breathing. He tried shifting away from her, but she tightened her arm around him and snaked one of her legs around his. He stifled a groan at how she pressed her body against his. He tilted his head back to at least get some relief from the fragrance of her hair.

Bella lifted her head when she felt the absence of Edward's neck. She let out a disgruntled sound and Edward closed his eyes in frustration. It wasn't enough that he could touch and feel her, she seemed to want him to breathe her in too.

He took in a slow steady breath and opened his eyes. He hesitated before he tilted his head back down. Bella didn't move her head back which gave him a full view of her face. He had his arm by his side, but he could not help reaching up to her face now. His touch was bold and he brushed his thumb lightly across her bottom lip.

Bella sighed and a small smile appeared on her lips.

He couldn't stop what he did next.

He reached around her neck and leaned in and kissed her. His lips were tentative at first, testing. But the softness and warmth of her lips were too much, and he pressed a gentle, but firm kiss on her lips. Bella moved and he pulled away.

Her eyes fluttered open. "What. . ."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help. . ." His hand came away from her neck and rested on his hip.

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him with a confused expression.

_She didn't know?_ He thought. He gave her a soft smile and said, "I was moving around a little. I'm sorry if I woke you."

She gave him a put out expression. "I was having a good dream, too."

His eyebrows shot up. "What were you dreaming about?"

She shook her head and buried her face against the pillow.

Edward reached up and smoothed her hair back, but Bella persisted on hiding her face.

"What did you dream about?" He asked again.

She mumbled something into the pillow.

This time, Edward turned her face away from the pillow. "What did you say?"

She looked away when she said, "I dreamt that I was kissing. . . Cedric Diggory."

Edward's brow wrinkled. "Cedric Diggory? From Harry Potter?"

_Why did I say Cedric Diggory? Where the hell did that come from? _ She thought.

She could only nod.

It was Edward's turn to wear a put out expression. "That's who you were dreaming about?"

Bella tried to untangle herself from Edward, but he snaked his arm around her. Bella didn't answer, but instead avoided his eyes.

"Bella," his voice was rough. She wondered if he always sounded like this in the morning. She felt her heart skip.

She finally looked up at him, but still didn't say anything.

Edward said, "Are you sure that's who you were dreaming about?"

She nodded, but blinked several times.

"You know I can tell when you're lying."

She had a stricken look on her face. "Why does it matter?"

He lifted one shoulder up and then down. "I guess it doesn't," he lowered his voice and said, "especially since I dreamed about you."

Her eyes widened and then after a moment, she regained her expression and said, "I thought you didn't have dreams."

He gave her a curious expression. "How would you know that?"

"Alice has said that you don't remember your dreams."

A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "That's true, but. . ." he couldn't help grinning. "Last night's dream was pretty hard to forget."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Now I know you're lying. You smile when you lie."

"No, I don't." His grin was plastered to his face.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She tried rolling away from him, but his hold on her was firm.

"I bet I can guess what you were dreaming about." He gave her a knowing look.

"What are you talking about?" Her body tensed.

"You had a smile on your face."

"What?" She gulped.

He chuckled.

"Did I. . . say anything?"

"No." There was amusement in his eyes.

She sighed in relief.

"I bet you were dreaming about Mr. Dazzling," he said in a teasing manner.

She felt a slow burn creeping through her cheeks, but she recovered herself. "You're not going to let that go, are you?"

He shook his head. "You had some interesting songs picked out for him."

She groaned. "They weren't interesting. They were very boring. Nothing that you should concern yourself about."

He kept his arm around Bella, but used the other one to prop up his head, so he could get a better look at her. "_Claire de Lune_ was one."

Bella didn't like that he was looking down at her. She felt like it gave him some kind of advantage. She tried to prop herself up as well, but he didn't loosen his hold on her. The one time that Edward Cullen was determined to have her in his arms, Bella wanted to break free.

She buried her face in his chest which caused her response to be somewhat muffled. "So?"

He let out a small laugh and ran his fingers through her hair. "So? It was one of the pieces I played at the senior recital."

She pulled away just enough so that her voice was clear. "I know."

"Why does Mr. Dazzling get one of _my _songs?" He tried to keep the petulant tone out of his voice.

At this point he was absently raking his fingers through her long hair. Bella willed her eyes not to cross at the way his fingers would linger on her neck before he dragged them through her hair. She knew her hair was a tangled mess, but he didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"Um, last time I checked, _Claire de Lune_ was owned by Debussy." She held back a sigh when she felt his hand come to rest on the back of her neck.

"Debussy would be pretty damn impressed by the way I play it."

Bella couldn't help enjoying the cocky tone in his voice, but she wasn't going to let on that she did.

She let out a small laugh and said, "That was one recital years ago. Just because a few people were impressed-"

"A few people?" He had his hand on the back of her neck and applied just enough pressure to gently pull her face away from his chest. "Bella, it was more than just a few people."

She rolled her eyes. So what if he got a standing ovation and she was one of the people clapping furiously? She said, "That was high school. It's not like you play anymore."

He looked at her for a moment before he said, "I never stopped playing."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Really? Alice said you never play anymore."

He resumed his absent stroking of his fingers through her hair. "I don't play in recitals anymore. Just mostly for myself."

"I was sad when Alice said you didn't play anymore." She leaned forward to hide her face. "I'm glad you still play. I really enjoyed listening to you."

He unfolded his arm and lay his head down on his pillow. "Do you remember the last time I played?"

"I don't think anyone could forget. The whole school was there and parents, too."

"No, not the recital."

Bella knew what he was referring to, but she didn't think he'd remember. She hesitated before she said, "It was at your old house."

He stopped running his fingers through her hair and rested his hand on the back of her neck again. "Do you remember the piece I played?"

Edward was absently dragging his thumb back and forth on the spot just below her ear. She stifled a moan and said, "A little. You actually didn't play very much. You said it wasn't ready."

"What if I told you that it was ready?"

She pulled her head back just enough to see his face. He looked at her with such a warm expression in his eyes. She felt like her insides were beginning to melt. Bella wanted to lay under his gaze all day, but instead she tried to focus on the conversation.

She barely managed to say, "Has Alice heard it?"

He shook his head.

Her brow was pinched. "Why not?"

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "I had a very specific audience in mind when I wrote it."

"Oh." She pulled her arm away from him and rested her hand on his chest. "Will I ever get to hear it?"

He ran his thumb across her cheek. "I hope so."

"When?"

"It depends on. . ."

They were staring at each other for a moment. Bella felt like he was trying to read her mind, contemplating something.

"What?" she asked.

He cupped her face in his hand and leaned down. He could feel her breath on his lips when _Sull' Aria_ from _The Marriage of Figaro_ played through the room.

He snapped his head up. "It's my mom."

Bella blinked several times. Before she realized what was happening, Edward had left the bed to answer his cell phone.

Bella felt like she was intruding on the phone call with Esme, so she climbed out of Edward's bed and walked downstairs back to the guest room. When she got there, she checked her phone and saw that she had a message from Alice and one from Emmett. Then she remembered that she still had to call Angela to find out if she could accompany them to the bridal boutique.

The time showing on her phone was just after eight in the morning. She bit her lip and called Angela. She knew Angela would probably still be asleep, but she thought it would be best to at least leave a message.

She dialed Angela's number. After the fourth ring, Bella was expecting her voicemail to pick up, but instead Angela answered.

"Hello?" Her voice was groggy.

"Angela? I'm so sorry. I thought it would flip over to-."

"Bella?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'll call back in a couple of hours."

"Is this about the fitting?"

"Oh, yeah. How'd you know?"

She let out a small laugh. "Alice called me last night."

"She did? I didn't know she would."

"She said she'd leave you a message."

Bella winced. "She did, but I didn't listen to it. I just assumed that she was calling to remind me to call you."

"It's okay. I'll meet you at the bridal boutique. You're working later, right?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to work on my final before my shift started." She had been taking clothes out for the day when she saw Edward standing in the doorway. "Hey, Angela. Hold on for second." She pressed the mute button on her phone.

"Hey," she said.

He smiled and said, "Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's okay. She'll be coming to the fitting." She tried to keep her attention on the clothes she was picking out, but it was very difficult. Edward hadn't change out of his pajama bottoms.

She continued, "I also got messages from Alice and Emmett. I still need to get back to them. What did your mom say?"

He leaned against the door frame. "My Aunt had her baby."

Bella stopped what she was doing. "Is she okay? Is the baby alright?"

Edward nodded. "They're both fine, but my Aunt Tanya needs help. So my mom is going to stay a little while. She says they'll be back sometime next week. They're not sure when though. My mom is nervous because the wedding is so close."

"Has she talked to Alice?"

He shook his head.

She was looking through her bathroom bag when she realized something. "Um, I need to stop by the pharmacy before the fitting. I'm going to shower and go, but I'll be back in time so we can go to the fitting together."

"Why don't we just go to the pharmacy together and then to the fitting? It seems kind of silly for you to have to go back and forth like that."

She shifted in her spot. "Well, I didn't want to make you wait."

"I don't mind." He pushed himself off the door frame. "I'll go shower and change, so we can leave soon."

"But-" He left before she could say anything else.

She picked up her phone and pressed the mute button. "Angela, are you still there?"

"Hmm?"

Bella felt bad. She must've fallen back asleep. "I've got to go, but I'll see you later."

"Is everything okay?" She sounded concerned, but it was obvious it took some effort.

"Yeah, I was just talking to Edward."

"Really?" Now she sounded awake.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Angela."

"So what does Edward Cullen wear to sleep?"

Bella giggled and told her.

"Wow. And he just showed up to your room like that?"

"Yes," Bella bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she was going to tell her that she had fallen asleep with Edward.

"Okay. I don't know if I'll be able to go back to bed now."

"Angela! You have a boyfriend!"

"Yes, and I'm very happy. But I can't just turn off my imagination especially when it concerns Mr. Dazzling."

Bella laughed. "I have to go, but I'll see you later."

"Okay."

Bella hung up and put her phone down. She was going to have to check her messages once she was done in the shower. She grabbed her bathroom bag and headed to the guest bathroom to start getting ready.

/#/

Bella tapped her foot on the bland linoleum floor of the pharmacy waiting room. She didn't understand why it was taking so long to fill her prescription. They arrived when the doors had just opened, so there was no one else in the store. When she asked the pharmacist why she had to wait, the older woman gave her a good natured smile and told her to have a seat.

Normally she wouldn't have been so rude, but normally she didn't have Edward with her.

She told him that he could wait in the car, but he accompanied her anyway. He said he wanted to pick up a few things for himself.

She checked her watch and then scanned the store. She looked at the pharmacist and saw that she was talking on the phone. Bella wanted to jump over the counter and rip the phone away. She needed her prescription now before Edward came back.

Bella walked to the counter in the hopes of conveying a sense of urgency to the pharmacist.

"Hey, did you get what you needed?"

She jumped in her spot. Edward was standing at her elbow.

He smiled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"I didn't see you coming."

"You seem preoccupied. Is everything alright?"

Bella glanced at the pharmacist who was still on the phone and then back at Edward. "Yeah. It's just taking longer than it should."

Edward looked at the older woman who was behind the plexi-glass, talking on the phone. When she looked up from the paper work she was rummaging through, and saw Edward, the pharmacist blushed.

Bella rolled her eyes. She was sure that women reacting like this toward him was a normal occurrence for Edward. Bella turned her head to see Edward's reaction and he gave the lady a friendly smile. It was a harmless gesture, but based on the pharmacist's reaction, Bella was sure that she'd be thinking about that for a while.

Then the pharmacist looked at Bella and gave her a knowing smile. Bella's brow creased at the smile. _What the hell was that for?_ She thought. A few minutes later, the pharmacist got off the phone and disappeared into one of the bottle filled aisles in the pharmacy.

She re-emerged from behind the plexi-glass and walked up to the register. The pharmacist gave them both another friendly smile before she said, "Bella? I'm sorry for the delay, but there was a problem with your prescription."

Bella's heart sank. "Problem?"

She snuck a glance at Edward before she said, "You were out of refills, so I had to call and see if they'd refill your prescription."

Bella let out a frustrated sigh. "I didn't know I had run out." She opened her bag and searched for her phone. "I'll call my doctor's office to see if-"

"Oh, there's no need." She placed a white paper bag on the counter and pushed it toward Bella. "It's all sorted out now. That's why I was on the phone for a bit."

"Oh." She gave the pharmacist a bemused look and then remembered her past behavior. "I'm so sorry for the way I acted earlier. I was in a rush."

The pharmacist's eyes strayed to Edward again and she raised an eyebrow. "I can certainly understand why."

Bella looked at Edward and then back at the pharmacist and realized that the pharmacist thought she needed her prescription so badly because she and Edward were going to-

"You might want to visit aisle three on your way out." In a lowered voice, the pharmacist said, "Just to be extra careful."

Bella felt her face flush. "Um, thanks." She paid and took the bag from the counter. Then she turned to leave.

Edward said, "Have a nice day."

The pharmacist grinned.

Bella bolted for the door.

Edward caught up with her. "What was in aisle three?"

She didn't know, but she had a pretty good guess. "Um, cough drops?"

They walked out the store and toward Esme's Mercedes.

Edward said, "I didn't know you were sick."

"I'm not sick."

When they were a few feet away from the car, Edward unlocked the doors using the keyless entry.

"Oh." His brow furrowed while he reached for the door to let Bella into the passenger side. She hopped in and Edward closed the door.

He walked around the car to get in the driver's side.

Once he was in, Bella said, "I'm not sick."

He chuckled and started the car. "I heard you the first time."

"I mean, I'm not sick like I'm imbalanced and need to be medicated."

He gave her a smile and then returned his attention back to the road. "You don't have to explain anything, Bella."

She shifted in her seat. "It's just that I would've picked this up before, but I just hadn't had time and I'm almost out."

"It's alright, Bella. I told you I didn't mind stopping in."

Bella took in a deep breath. After a moment, she said, "So, are we stopping for breakfast somewhere?"

He nodded. "I hope bagels are okay?"

"That sounds good."

They stopped at a quaint bagel shop. There was a sparse amount of people and no line. They walked up to the counter and ordered breakfast. When it was time to pay, Edward waved Bella off, but she insisted that she pay him back and reached in her purse to get her wallet. When she pulled out her wallet, the pharmacy bag fell out.

Along with its contents.

Bella swore. Of course this was the one time the bag wasn't stapled shut.

Since Edward was the first to reach the contents on the floor, he picked up the scattered packs of birth control pills. His eyes widened once he realized what he held in his hands.

Bella took them from him and slid them back into the bag.

The cashier cleared his throat.

Bella gave him some money. He handed her back some change and her receipt. Then Bella led Edward to an empty table by the window. They sat down, waiting for their order.

"So, after this we're going to the bridal boutique, right?" Bella asked.

He nodded.

"Angela will be meeting us there," she volunteered.

"Yeah, you mentioned that." He turned in his seat and faced the window.

She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. She wasn't sure what Edward was thinking, but she got the feeling that he was surprised at first to see the birth control pills, but now? She peaked through her lashes, but he was still looking out the window. Was he disappointed in her?

Their order was called and Bella went to pick it up. She went to the condiment station and put two sugars and one cream in Edward's coffee. Then she turned to go back to their table. Right before she put their drinks and bagels down, Bella realized that maybe Edward didn't take cream and sugar in his coffee anymore.

"I'm sorry. I put two sugars and one cream in your coffee. Do you still take it that way?" She sat down.

He looked at her with a surprised expression. "Yes, you still remember?"

"At the time, it was such a thrill to get coffee when we were in high school." She brought her cup to her lips.

"You still take it black?" He picked up his cup.

She put her coffee down. "All that other stuff dilutes the caffeine."

He shook his head. "You and Emmett are one in the same."

She smiled and picked up her bagel.

Edward picked up his bagel as well, but would occasionally sneak a look at Bella while she ate.

Bella sipped her coffee again and put her cup down. "I'm a closet sex addict."

Edward almost choked on his bagel.

She continued, "Sometimes I can't help myself."

Edward was barely able to swallow his bagel. "What?"

"That means I like to have sex." She looked around and then leaned closer and said, "A lot."

Edward pushed back his chair. "Bella, please tell me you're kidding."

A small smile pulled on the corner of her lips. "Yes, but I thought that would sound more exciting than the real reason why I'm on the pill."

He waited for her to explain.

"It helps my. . . monthly visitor stay regular."

Edward let out a deep breath and pulled his chair forward. "You could've just said that."

"Things felt pretty intense, so I thought I should lighten things up."

He shook his head. "That was a bit extreme."

"But, it was funny, right?" She gave him a hopeful look.

He chuckled and then took a sip of his coffee. After a moment, he said, "I would've understood. Alice does the same thing too."

She tilted her head to the side. "How do you know?"

"I found out by accident. I was looking for some mints in her purse, and she had her pills in there. At the time, I didn't know what they were. When I showed them to her, she got upset." He let out a low laugh. "I guess it didn't help that my parents were standing there too."

Bella's eyes widened. "Did you parents get upset?"

He shook his head. "My dad was the one who referred her to the gynocologist."

"When did this happen?"

"Back in high school."

She laughed. "You seemed to handle it well."

"No, actually, I flipped out. I told her she was too young to be having sex."

Bella winced.

He had an uncomfortable smile on his face. "She explained that just because a girl is on the pill doesn't mean she's having sex. And then she went into great detail about how a woman's. . . monthly visitor can be unpredictable and how being on the pill can help regulate it." He took a long sip of his coffee before he said, "It was the most awkward conversation I've ever had with Alice."

She smiled. "I think it's nice that you guys were able to talk about it."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "What? You haven't told Emmett that you're on the pill?"

She snorted and said, "Emmett still thinks I believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny."

He laughed.

Bella finished off her coffee and then said, "I don't think he'd be able to wrap his mind around the concept that the pill is not just for sex."

Edward nodded in agreement.

"But still," Bella tore a piece of her bagel into tiny pieces, "It is nice to be prepared."

Edward became very still.

"I mean, I know it's not one hundred percent, but something is better then nothing, right?" Bella was now arranging the tiny bagel pieces into a square.

"Um, yeah." He gripped his seat with both hands. "So, have you ever. . . gone down aisle three?"

Bella was rearranging the tiny bits into a triangle. "Have I what?" When she didn't hear Edward answer, she looked up from her work, and saw him give her a pointed look.

"Oh." Bella shifted in her seat and stopped playing with the bagel bits. "Well, yeah."

His eyebrows shot up. "You have?"

"Haven't you?"

He hesitated before he said, "Yeah."

She moved to the edge of her seat. "When did it happen?"

Edward let go of the bottom of his chair and leaned back. "Does it matter?"

Bella looked away and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "It's not that. It's just. . ." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It happened a while ago."

She met his eyes. "How long is a while ago?"

He gave her a steady look before he said, "High school."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Was it Gianna?"

He wore a stunned expression on his face. "How did you know?"

"Well," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "When she left, you took it pretty hard."

He had a rueful smile on his face. "I was really sad when she left."

She wanted to ask another next question, but she was afraid to know the answer. She took a deep breath and said, "How many. . ." She chickened out. She couldn't finish the question.

"Two," Edward said.

She blinked several times. "Really? That's all?"

He laughed. "What did you expect?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought. . . maybe the number would be higher."

"You seem disappointed," he said in a teasing manner.

"It's just hard to believe."

"Why?"

_Oh god,_ she thought. She really set herself up for this. "I don't know. I just figured that you. . . wouldn't have trouble finding willing. . . partners."

"It's not that I had trouble," he hesitated before he said, "I just, I guess I'm not the type who feels the need to sow his wild oats."

She smiled. After a moment, she licked her lips and said, "Was it at least. . . pleasant?"

He laughed. "Yes, but I'm the guy, so it's going to be pleasant regardless."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm glad it was pleasant for you."

One of his eyebrows arched. "I'd like to think it was pleasant for the girls too."

She stopped herself from blurting out of course it was!

"Actually, maybe not for Gianna because that was the first time," he said more to himself. "Although later, when we met again, I think it went a lot better."

Bella swallowed hard. "What do you mean, when you met again?"

Edward shifted in his spot. "About a year ago, she had moved back to California. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't accidentally run into her at her family's restaurant."

Bella felt her heart drop to her stomach. "So, you're dating Gianna now?"

He blinked several times. "No."

"But you said. . ."

He ran his hand through his hair. "I guess you could say we were more curious than anything."

Bella wasn't sure how to feel. It was naïve of her to think that Edward would never be with anyone intimately. For goodness sakes! How can anyone so good looking not have sex? She really couldn't be upset about it. In fact, she was intrigued. As a teenager, she dreamed of giving up her virginity to Edward. But knowing what she knew now about sex, she thought it would've been awkward and may have even put a strain on their relationship.

Now, as a a somewhat experienced adult in that area, she couldn't help wondering how good Edward actually was at having sex. He seemed so unaware at times, and she didn't want to believe that he was the same way in an intimate setting.

She hesitated before she said, "Curious?" She saw a faint blush on Edward's face.

He said, "It was really awkward in high school and we wondered. . . if we had improved since then."

Judging from the deepening color in his cheeks, Bella believed that there was more than just an improvement in all those years that passed. They probably caused the earth to move.

Bella had a sudden seizure of panic. On the very off chance that she would ever have sex with Edward, would she even be able to cause a tremor? She knew that not only would the earth move and shake for her, but she would also have an experience similar to meeting God. Would she evoke that kind of reaction for Edward?

She knew the answer and she wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere and die.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Me?"

He leaned forward. "You're not going to get out of this. I told you about me, now it's your turn."

She let out a short breath. "There was one."

"Jacob?"

"No." She was surprised by his guess. She was always careful around Jacob.

It was Edward's turn to be surprised. "Really? I thought you and him. . ."

"We almost did. . . a couple of times, but. . ."

He waited for her to continue.

"I knew that once I crossed that line. . . there was no going back and with Jacob. . . I never was ready to cross that line with him."

"So. . . when did. . ."

Bella wrapped her hand around her empty coffee cup and started turning it in circles. "My freshman year in college."

Edward had reached for his cup, but stilled his hand. He shouldn't have been surprised because he asked, but he still couldn't help feeling that way. A small shadow of thought crossed his mind that if he had not transferred, would Bella have met this guy? He quickly dispelled the thought. Of course, she would have. He realized that his decision to leave was a good one. He knew that she would find someone someday, and he knew he couldn't stay to watch it happen.

She continued, "He was a year older and a . . . music major."

His brow wrinkled. "What instrument did he play?"

She hesitated before she said, "He liked to compose, mostly for the piano."

Edward felt something burn in the pit of his stomach. "Was he. . . was it pleasant?"

She let out a nervous laugh. "Yes. I mean, it was awkward at first because I'd never. . . but he was very patient and I learned. . ." She caught herself and finished with, "I learned that I shouldn't worry so much."

"Worry about what?"

She stopped turning the empty cup in circles, but kept her eyes focused on it. "Worry so much about pleasing him."

Edward swallowed hard.

She continued, "I learned not to think so much about what to do, but to just. . . be myself."

Edward looked down at his untouched bagel. After a moment, he said, "He sounds. . . perfect."

She couldn't help letting a small laugh escape. "He wasn't perfect. He had his faults."

He raised his eyebrows. "Like what?"

Bella thought for a moment and then said, "He was a fumbler."

"A fumbler?" Edward reached for his coffee again and took a sip.

Bella picked up a napkin and folded the edge. "Yeah, you know. He. . . always fumbled taking off my bra."

Edward coughed.

She continued folding over the napkin. "No matter how many times we. . . well, it's like bras were his kryptonite."

He chuckled. "That's unfortunate, but that doesn't exactly sound like a deal breaker."

She shook her head. "No, but. . . we got along really well and the sex was. . . very pleasant once we got past the fumbling part, but. . . things just. . . fizzled out." _He wasn't you,_ she thought.

"Well, I'm glad your first time was pleasant." He gave her a sincere smile.

She looked up at him and returned the smile. "So, did Gianna have a weakness to kryptonite?"

"I don't know if I should be talking about this." He leaned away from the table.

She leaned forward. "Oh, come on, Edward. I told you about the fumbling."

He shifted in his spot and for a moment looked like he was contemplating what to say.

"Edward." She held up her hand. "Fine. You don't have to say-"

"It was her. . . lingerie." Edward struggled to saw the last word.

Bella blinked several times.

"I said that when we met a year ago, we were curious to see if things changed since high school." Edward shifted in his seat. "Well, one of the things that changed about Gianna was her. . . undergarment choices. They'd become pretty elaborate."

She said, "Elaborate?"

"Ribbons, silk, lace, and. . . lots of lace." He said the last word with a slight frown.

"I thought guys liked lingerie." She remembered the midnight blue boy short panties she had. She wondered if Edward considered that too much lace.

He held up his hands. "Don't get me wrong. It's not that I didn't appreciate it, it's just. . . simpler would've been fine too." He leaned forward slightly. "But, I guess in the end it doesn't matter because it all comes off."

Bella swallowed hard and hoped that her expression didn't betray her thoughts. She didn't like the idea that Gianna pranced around in fancy underwear for Edward, but she couldn't help feeling a small amount of satisfaction that he wasn't really impressed by it. But the strongest feeling she was experiencing at the moment was desire.

She looked down afraid that her feelings were written on her face. However, her hand was on the table and Edward's was only an inch above hers. She looked up at Edward who also noticed the close proximity of their fingers. He slid his hand up the table and his fingers brushed hers.

Bella wanted to launch herself over the table at Edward.

But before she could do anything, _Come on Eileen_ by Dexy's Midnight Runners played in the bagel shop.

It took a second for Bella to realize it was her phone. "Crap! It's Angela." She fished her phone from her purse. "Angela?"

"Bella? Where are you?"

She checked the time on her phone. She swore and said, "Are you at the bridal boutique?"

"Yeah, is everything okay?"

"Yes! We stopped to get breakfast and lost track of time."

Edward had already cleared their breakfast off the table and they were on the way out of the shop.

While they walked to the car, Bella said, "We're leaving right now. We should be there in fifteen minutes. Maybe less."

"Um, okay. I guess I'll just wait here."

"I'm so sorry, Angela." Edward opened the car door for her and she climbed in. She continued, "We'll be there as soon as possible."

Edward climbed in and started the car.

"Alright," Angela hesitated before she said, "Are you sure _everything's_ okay?"

"Yeah." She noted the inflection in Angela's voice on the word _everything. _"We were just talking and we lost track of time."

"_Just _talking?" Again with the inflection on the word _just_.

Bella took in a steady breath. "Yes, Angela. That's all."

"Hmm. . . is Edward there?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I see. Well, you can fill me in on the rest later at work."

"What are you-"

"See you soon!" There was a click and then the sound of a dial tone.

"Is she okay?" Edward asked. There was a red light, so he brought the car to a stop.

"Yeah, she's fine. Just. . . surprised that we're late."

"Surprised?"

"I'm usually on time."

"Oh." The light turned green and the car moved forward.

They sat in companionable silence. Bella propped an elbow on the passenger door against the window and rested her chin in her hand. Edward was driving at a steady pace. Not very fast actually, but she just attributed to the fact that the speed limit was forty miles an hour.

They came to another stop. While they were waiting for the light to turn green, Bella watched an elderly lady move across the crosswalk pulling one of those two wheeled carts behind her.

She was about to say how sad it was that the old lady didn't have anyone to take her to the grocery store when she felt Edward take her hand.

Bella looked up at Edward and saw that he had a soft expression in his eyes.

He said, "We were just talking about fumbling and elaborate lingerie, and. . ." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I thought this would be pretty harmless."

She could only smile because it wasn't as harmless as he thought. The way he held her hand, his touch, made her think about what it would be like to be touched in other places.

They heard a tap on a horn and looked up to see a green light.

Edward chuckled, but Bella blushed. He pressed his foot on the accelerator and the car lurched forward.

They held hands the rest of the time until they got to the bridal boutique. The only time they let go was when Edward came out of the car and opened Bella's door. Then he held her hand again and they went inside.

Bella was sure that he'd let go once they were inside, but he didn't. Angela was sitting on the familiar chaise lounge, reading a bridal magazine. When they walked in, Angela looked up at them. She smiled, and for a second her smile faltered. Bella noticed it, but Angela was quick to recover.

"Hi, guys!" Angela's smile was bright. Too bright.

"Hey, Angela! I'm sorry we're late." She looked at Edward and then back at Angela. "You remember Edward Cullen, right?"

Angela stepped forward and said, "Of course, I do." She held out her hand.

Edward let go of Bella's hand to take Angela's. "It's nice to see you again, Angela." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

Bella stifled a giggle at Angela's furious blush. She had to give it to Edward. He was smooth.

Angela stammered, "I-I just spoke with Alice."

Bella's brow creased. "You did? I'm surprised she didn't call me as well."

"I told her you were running late because you were having breakfast with Edward." She had a mild look of uncertainty as if she may have said too much to Alice.

Bella shrugged, trying to convey it wasn't a big deal. "I'm sure she'll call back any minute."

Angela let out a small sigh.

At this point, the seamstress appeared. "Bella?" When she saw Edward, her smile became brighter. "Is this the groom?"

Edward said, "No. I'm the bride's brother."

The seamstress gave him a not so subtle appraisal.

Bella's eyes widened. The seamstress was much older than either of them. Surely, she was checking out Edward for a niece or her daughter.

Edward instinctively took Bella's hand.

The seamstress's smile slightly dimmed and she said, "Bella, your dress is ready for you. If you'll follow me." She gestured toward the dressing room.

Bella said, "I'll be there in a second."

The seamstress nodded and went to the dressing room. Angela returned to the couch and became preoccupied with a magazine.

Bella turned to Edward and said, "You know, you don't have to stay for this. I'm sure you have better things to do."

He gave her a playful smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you in a dress."

She shook her head. "Great, and now you'll see me in a bridesmaid dress that I look totally ridiculous in."

"Probably not ridiculous." He brushed her cheek with his thumb.

Angela discretely cleared her throat and said, "Alice should be calling back any minute now."

Bella tore her eyes away from Edward's and walked to the couch to put her purse down. "I'll be right back."

Angela shot Bella a questioning look, but she shrugged. Then Bella disappeared into the back of the store where the dressing rooms were.

Edward took a seat next to Angela.

Angela asked, "How was breakfast?" She feigned interest in an ad for a honeymoon in Fiji.

Edward reached for a magazine, but instead took out his cell phone. "It was. . . good."

She continued looking at another ad for Bridal Expo. "I wish I had time for breakfast."

Edward looked up from his phone. "I'm sorry. We could've brought you back something from the bagel shop."

One of Angela's eyebrow's curved softly. "It's alright. I'll pick up something after this."

Edward sat up in his seat. "I can go pick up something right now. I think I saw a coffee shop down the street."

Angela looked up in surprise and saw Edward's genuine look of concern. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it's been how long since we've seen each other? I don't want you running off getting me breakfast." Angela had a pleased expression on her face. "That's really sweet." She patted him on the knee and returned her attention to the magazine. Then she said, "Bella was right."

He was about to get up from his spot, but when he heard the last part, he turned to look at her. "Right about what?"

She shrugged. "She thinks you're thoughtful and sweet."

He sat back and took out his phone. "Oh."

"But you already knew that."

"Um, yeah."

Angela snuck a glance at Edward. He had his phone out, but he wasn't looking at it. She stifled a smile. Alice had told her that she had been trying to get the both of them to realize their feelings for each other and that any help she could give to the cause would be greatly appreciated. It wasn't like Angela was lying. Bella did think that of Edward.

So, what if Bella never actually said it in so many words to Angela.

But Angela knew Bella well enough to know how she felt about Edward. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

But judging by the way Edward reacted to the simple admission, he had a negative IQ when it came to Bella.

After a moment, Edward cleared his throat and said, "Do you know who Mr. Dazzling is?"

Angela's eyebrows shot up. She decided to tread carefully. "Mr. Dazzling? I haven't heard that name in a while."

"You knew him?" He put his phone away.

Angela pretended to act like she was lost in thought. "Um. . . yeah, actually I did."

Edward leaned closer, "Was he. . . was he the guy that Bella. . . first dated when she started at Washington University?"

This time Angela didn't have to pretend to be surprised. "You mean Jared?"

"His name was Jared?"

Angela put the magazine on the side table. "Yeah, how do you know about Jared?"

He leaned back. "He came up in our conversation during breakfast."

Angela wondered what else they talked about. "She told you about him?"

"Yeah." He ran his fingers through his hair.

_Whoa._ Angela knew about Jared too, but she didn't think Bella would ever tell anyone about him. She didn't think even Alice knew. She wasn't sure.

After a moment, Edward said, "So, this Jared guy? He's Mr. Dazzling?"

"Wait? What?" Angela shook her head to clear her daze.

"Mr. Dazzling is this guy Jared?" he repeated.

"No." She hesitated before she said, "He's. . . We went to high school with him."

Edward's eyebrows shot up this time. "You mean, I might know him?"

She couldn't help letting a small laugh escape. "You might."

He sat at the edge of his seat. "Who was it?"

Angela wasn't sure how much she should say. She chose her words carefully. "Mr. Dazzling was a nickname obviously. He. . . There was this freshman Bree when we were juniors." She pinched her fingers nervously. "Bree bumped into him and dropped her books. He helped her and she said thanks. He smiled at her and Bree said his smile was dazzling."

Edward was quiet.

Angela ventured to say, "Does any of this ring any bells?"

Edward looked at her. "Should it?"

"Mr. Dazzling doesn't sound familiar to you at all?"

"I've never heard it before."

"Do you remember Bree?"

He shrugged.

_Oh my god! Alice was right! HE REALLY IS THIS CLUELESS. _Angela had a sympathetic look on her face. _Poor, Bella._

Edward wondered why Angela was looking at him like he was an unfortunate accident. Was he supposed to know who Bree was? Was this like what happened with Maria? That he was somehow connected, but at the time he was totally unaware.

Thoughts like puzzle pieces were coming together in Edward's mind. The songs in the playlist and the familiarity of them. Bella's reaction when he discovered the playlist was the final piece, but before he could complete the puzzle, Bella had returned to the show area.

Angela was the first to stand from the couch. "Oh, Bella! You look beautiful." She took out her phone. "Let me call Alice." She went to join Bella on the fitting platform.

Edward stood as well, but hung back by the couch. She was gorgeous which shouldn't have surprised him. It felt more like the air had been knocked out of him. Seeing her dressed so formally reminded him of the time he had seen her dressed up for the junior formal in high school. She was going with a guy named Garrett who was an overall smart, funny, and nice guy. He was also athletic and was a good violinist.

Edward had wanted to rip his limbs off.

He was brought back out of the memory when Angela held out her phone to him.

Alice's voice was on speaker. "Well, Edward? We haven't heard your opinion yet."

Suddenly he felt all eyes were on him. He walked toward the fitting platform where Bella stood. Angela followed him.

He cleared his throat and took in the sight of Bella standing in front of him. He said, "Alice, there really aren't any words."

Alice said, "What do you mean?"

By this time, Edward was standing behind Bella. He dipped his head down and brushed his lips on her bare shoulder.

Angela's jaw dropped. The seamstress looked as if she were enjoying a romantic scene played by her favorite actors.

Bella's breath was labored and she was caught in Edward's gaze.

"Um, hello?" Alice's voice echoed on the phone.

Angela cleared her throat and took Alice off speaker phone. Then she whispered what just happened into the phone.

After a second, Angela said, "Um, Norma?" The seamstress snapped her attention to Angela at the sound of her name.

"Hmm?"

"Alice had a question about Rosalie's dress. Would you mind showing it to me so I can explain things to her on the phone?"

"Well. . ." Norma was about to ask what finishing Bella's fitting, but Angela gave her a pointed look. Her lips formed an O and she said, "Of course, it's back here. I'll show you."

Bella noticed Angela leaving and said, "Um, is it okay for me to change back now?"

Angela said, "No, we're not done yet. Alice just had a quick question about Rosalie's dress, so we'll be right back."

"But-" They disappeared before Bella could protest.

She let out a frustrated sigh and walked off the platform. She didn't like being on display like that and seeing herself in the three way mirror with Edward was awkward. She felt so homely compared to him.

She walked toward the couch, but didn't sit down. She got hell last time from Alice for almost sitting in her dress. Even though Alice wasn't here, she was sure she would know the next time Bella wore the dress that she had sat in it based on the wrinkles on the skirt. Edward followed her.

She turned to look at him. "You know, a simple 'She looks nice' would've sufficed."

He gave her a small smile. "No, it wouldn't have."

She looked down at the sage colored dress and smoothed down the skirt unable to meet his eyes.

In a playful tone, he said, "Did you know Mr. Dazzling went to high school with us?"

Her hands froze on her skirt. "Did he?"

"Yes." He took a step forward. "Apparently it was a nickname dubbed by a freshman named Bree."

Bella's head snapped up. "Did Angela tell you that?"

He nodded. "She told me the story."

Bella tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. "Don't you have that write up to finish?"

"I'm almost done." He stood in front of Bella.

Bella took a step back. "Because you don't have to hang around a dress shop. I'm sure you have more important things to do."

He took another step forward. "What could be more important than finding out Mr. Dazzling's true identity?"

She took another step back, but felt her calf hit the coffee table. She swore to herself. _How is that Edward manages to trap me against something every time!_

Before she could respond, "Prince Ali" echoed through the shop.

Bella looked at her purse. "It's Emmett."

Edward stepped away to allow room for Bella to retrieve her phone.

Once she dug it out of her purse, she said, "Emmett?"

"Hey, Bell. Did you get my message?"

She held up her index finger to Edward to excuse herself and walked a few feet away from him. "I haven't had a chance to listen to it. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just. . . we're supposed to be going to the cabin this weekend, right?"

"Yeah."

"Um, I have a really big favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"I need some laundry done."

Bella groaned.

"I know you told me I should've gotten it done before I left for the conference, but I didn't get a chance. I figured I'd do it when I got back, but now we're going to the cabin."

"Emmett, I still have mine to do."

"Bell, I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. You were right. I should've done it before."

"And?"

He hesitated before he said, "And you are the best sister in the world."

"In the world?"

"I meant in the universe."

She pretended to contemplate her decision. "Hmm. . . I don't see what the big deal is. Why can't you just bring the same clothes you have now to the cabin?"

"Bell, come on."

"What? That sounds like something you'd totally do."

"I would, but. . ."

She waited for her brother to speak, but when he didn't she asked, "What? Emmett?"

He let out a long sigh. "Rosalie's going to be there this weekend."

Her eyebrows shot up. "And?"

"What?"

"So? I don't see why I have to do your laundry when you already have clothes. It's not like she hasn't seen what you were wearing while you were in Portland, right?" This was a moment she had been waiting for. It was finally her turn to torment Emmett.

The line was quiet.

"Emmett?"

"Um. . . you know what? I'll just cut out early tomorrow, so I can do laundry and pack again for the weekend."

She wasn't expecting that response. "Wait, what?"

"I don't want to trouble you."

"Emmett, what the hell is going on?" This so did not sound like Emmett.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean 'nothing'? You never do laundry willingly."

"I do laundry."

"Um, when was the last time you did laundry?"

"Uh. . ."

"Yeah, I thought so. Did you know you have to separate the colors?"

"I know that!" He sounded exasperated. "Look, why are you making a big deal out of this?"

"Why don't you just say that you don't want to wear the same clothes because Rosalie has already seen you in them while she was in Portland visiting?"

"You-How did you know?"

"She said she wanted to surprise you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Duh, Emmett. It wouldn't be a surprise."

"I-You-Why-" He stammered on like this for a minute.

Bella cut him off. "Look, I'll do your laundry on one condition."

He stopped talking to listen.

"You have to quit making naughty jokes about the guys I hang out with."

"Aw, come on, Bells! They're just jokes."

"Okay. I guess you won't mind letting Rosalie see you in your park ranger uniforms." Because she would bring them to the cabin instead of clean laundry just to spite him.

He caved. "Fine!"

"Fine." And she hung up.

Edward said, "It sounds like you and Emmett had an interesting discussion."

Bella turned around to face Edward. "Yeah. He needs clean clothes for the weekend and I'm going to end up doing his laundry."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "That's very generous of you."

By this time, Angela and Norma returned. Bella walked back to the fitting platform.

"Everything okay?" Angela said. She saw Bella's annoyed expression, but Edward seemed slightly amused.

"I just finished talking to Emmett and he needs clean clothes." She let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm going to do his laundry."

Alice was still on the phone and Angela had put her back on speaker. "What? Are you serious?"

Bella was startled by Alice's voice, but recovered and said, "Yeah. I guess he wants to impress Rosalie."

"Really?" Alice was way too interested in that bit information.

"He was willing to do his own laundry when I tried to get him to admit why he needed clean clothes."

"Wow!" Alice said.

Edward said, "Just because Emmett wants to impress Rosalie doesn't mean anything. I mean, it's good that he wants to wear clean clothes, right? It shows a surprisingly mature approach on Emmett's part."

That garnered a laugh from Alice, Angela, and Bella. The seamstress Norma was pinning part of the hem on Bella's skirt, trying to be indifferent to the conversation, but her confused expression betrayed her.

Bella saw her expression and said, "Emmett's my brother. Rosalie is a mutual friend."

Norma's brow shot up in understanding and she continued making adjustments to the dress. She worked for only a few more minutes before she told Bella she could change back. Bella stepped off the platform and disappeared into the back of the store where the dressing rooms were. Norma went to help Bella.

Angela and Edward walked back toward the couch. However, Angela still had Alice on speaker phone.

"Edward?" Alice said.

He took Angela's phone. "Yeah?"

"You and Bella are driving out together to the cabin first, right?"

Edward's brow wrinkled. "Uh. . . I am?"

"Yes. It looks like the rest of us will be getting there in the late afternoon."

"Oh. Well, shouldn't we wait for the rest of you guys?"

"Actually, I think it'd be a good idea if you and Bella made it out to the cabin first so you can make sure things are okay there. And you can pick up some groceries to help stock up for the weekend."

Edward rested a chin on his hand. "So, basically we're stuck with all the work."

Alice let out a small laugh. "I called Alistair and he said everything would be ready this weekend."

Alistair was their housekeeper for their cabin when it wasn't being occupied.

At this point, Bella had returned from the dressing room. "What's going on?"

Edward told Bella what Alice had just relayed.

Bella groaned. "How early do we have to leave?"

Alice said, "As early as you can."

Bella and Edward both groaned.

Alice's voice was sunny. "Thanks, guys! I'll see you tomorrow!" And the line went dead.

Edward handed Angela back her phone and said, "Thanks."

They said goodbye to Norma and walked out of the boutique.

They stood in front of the store for a moment before, Angela said, "I'm just going to go to the coffee shop to get something for breakfast."

Bella called after her retreating figure. "I'll be right there, Angela."

Edward shoved his hands in his pockets. "So, you're going back to school with Angela?"

She nodded. "I wanted to work on my final before my shift. It's not much time, but it's better than nothing."

He hesitated before he said, "Should I pick you up later?"

"I might stay after, so I can work on my final some more. I'm not sure, yet. But I'll call you to let you know either way."

"Oh. Well, I'll see you later then."

"Yeah."

They stood on the sidewalk for a moment. Whenever their eyes met, they'd dart away from each other. Bella shifted in her spot and Edward's hands were still in his pockets.

After half a minute, Bella let out a small laugh and said, "I should get back to Angela." But she took a step forward and said, "I'll see you later."

She leaned in to kiss him goodbye on the cheek, but Edward moved and she caught the corner of his mouth.

Bella pulled away and blinked in surprise.

He gave her a small smile. "You should get back to Angela."

It took a second for Bella to process what he said. "Yeah. I'm sure she's waiting." She returned his smile. "I'll see you later."

She turned around and walked toward the coffee shop. She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to turn around. Bella saw that Edward's eyes were trained on her. She gave him a small wave and turned back around, hoping she wouldn't trip on her way to the coffee shop.

Edward watched her until she disappeared into the coffee shop, and then he went back to the car. When he was settled in the driver's seat, he took a minute to lay his head back on the headrest. He lifted his arm so he could check his watch. It was almost eleven, but it seemed like so much had already happened.

He sat up and turned on the ignition. He had to get his work done before the weekend. Edward didn't want any thing to get in the way of spending time with Bella.

**Some of you expressed your frustration and maybe even dislike for the amount of angst in this story, but I'd like to say that the awkward beginnings of a relationship is my favorite part and B/E are perfect for that. I also think that it's essential for the development of their relationship. There's a lot of great B/E fanfic out there, but I wanted a story that also focused on them getting to know each other and discovering their feelings before they got into the physical aspect of the relationship. So instead of lamenting about it, I got off my butt and started writing this story.**

**However, I can also understand that it's probably unheard of in this fandom for the angst to go on like this for 10 chapters. (And they aren't short chapters either.) Rest assured B/E will get a better understanding about their feelings for each other soon. -coughs- Next chapter.**

**So, don't be discouraged. We'll get to some action soon enough. :)**


	11. Chapter 11: On Purpose

_A/N: My deepest apologies for the delay on this chapter. If you didn't see my note with the teaser for this chapter, I've had to do some major reconstruction for this chapter and the next (which I'm still working on). I've also been under the weather which also makes it difficult to focus. But, don't worry. I do plan on finishing the story. (I'm actually in the middle of writing chapter 13.)_

_You guys have been so wonderful. Your reviews have been so thoughtful and positive. They really inspire me to do my best. _

_Special thanks to spotzle and vjgm, my fabulous betas. I'm so grateful that they put up with me. :)_

_Note: The word count for this chapter is 12, 071. (Although ff. net says it's about one hundred words less that that for some reason.)_

_Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and have a delightful weekend. :)_

**Chapter 11 "On Purpose"**

_Can you see without eyes? _

_Can you speak without lies? _

_I wanna drink from your naked fountain. _

_I can drown your sorrows. _

_I'm gonna burn, burn you to life now _

_Out of the chains that bind you. _

"Wicked Garden" by Stone Temple Pilots

Bella switched the last of Emmett's laundry into the dryer and was now finally able to load her own. She was going to cause him great bodily harm when she saw him this weekend. He had said that he only needed a few things. When she actually checked his room, she found his hamper spilling over with clothes. When she sorted it all out, he had at least three full loads that needed to be done.

At one point, she seriously considered just bringing his park ranger uniforms for the weekend. They were going to be staying at a cabin near a lake. If people needed help, they would know who to turn to.

The only reason why she had a change of heart was because she found that Emmett made sure that all the dishes were put away and that he emptied the fridge of stuff that would go bad. Her brother knew how to take care of people. He just sometimes forgot to take care of himself.

Once she started a load of her own clothes, Bella walked out of the kitchen and went upstairs. She had already started folding Emmett's clothes and set aside what he wanted her to bring for him.

Bella couldn't help feeling annoyed and restless at the same time, but not because of her brother or doing laundry. She was glad she had something to occupy her time. Between loads of laundry and folding, she was also working on her final. She was really hoping to get it done before they went to the cabin. It would be one less thing to worry about during the week.

She knew the reason why she was in such a foul mood, but she hated herself for feeling this way.

Bella was staying at her own place tonight.

It's what she wanted all along, but now that she had gotten her wish, Bella couldn't help being upset over the fact that she was separated from Edward.

After Angela picked up breakfast at the coffee shop, they went to school before their shift started. Bella was happy that she would have time to start working on her final. However, once she actually went over it, she realized that it was a lot harder than she had anticipated. She didn't realize that there was a presentation required which meant she needed more time.

She had been so caught up with the wedding preparations and helping out Rosalie that she had not been paying attention to her own obligations.

After her shift ended, Bella stayed behind to continue working on her project. She said goodbye to Angela and she hunkered down at one of the study carousels in the library. She didn't realize she had lost track of time until she got a text from Edward. Her shift had ended at five and when Edward messaged her, it was already past seven.

She remembered that they were leaving in the morning and she still had laundry to do. She rested her head on her books and papers scattered on the table. Bella realized that she had to go home and do laundry, but that she wouldn't be going back to the Cullens' house tonight.

When Edward picked her up, her mind was so frazzled. They stopped somewhere to get something to eat and brought it back to his place. Edward noticed she was distracted and asked her what was the matter. Bella explained her situation and said that after dinner, she'd be going back to her place.

She expected him to tell her that she was supposed to stay and that Emmett didn't like the idea of her being on her own. She even had a counter-argument prepared that he could come over and stay as long as he wanted, so she wouldn't be by herself.

But Edward didn't oppose her decision.

In fact, he didn't seem surprised that she had decided to go back to her place for the night. He said that he was still working on his write up, and he realized that he should also get some laundry done, too.

Bella wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or break something. She actually wanted to do both.

While the laundry was going, she changed and faced off with the punching bag. She was careful though not to tear up her knuckles this time. She didn't need Emmett or Edward knowing she was working out her frustrations.

Bella shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She finished folding Emmett's laundry and checked the time on his clock. It was almost eleven. She groaned and went to her room to continue working on her final.

She had been working for only a few minutes when her cell phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw that she had a text message from Jacob.

_Are you still awake?_

She sent a text back.

_Yeah, but I'm working on my final and doing laundry._

Not a minute later, The Foo Fighter's _Monkey Wrench _went off.

She rolled her eyes and answered her phone. "Jacob, I told you. I'm busy."

"You're up anyway, so I figure you wouldn't mind talking."

"I can't concentrate if I'm on the phone."

"You're a good multi-tasker, Bell. You can do it."

She groaned. "What's so important that you want to talk to me now at this hour?"

"I thought you'd want to know how it went with Rosalie's client."

She put down her pencil. "How did it go?"

"It went great. It was a piece of cake." He went into technical terms about the car that Bella didn't understand, but said 'Oh' and 'Really?' at appropriate times.

After a minute, Jacob chuckled. "You really don't have any idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Sorry, Jacob. But it sounds like you impressed the guy."

"I wasn't trying to impress him. Just doing my job."

She smiled even though he couldn't see. "I know. I'm glad it went well."

"It went more than just okay. He wanted to hire me as his personal mechanic."

"Wow! So are you going to do it?"

"No, I don't think so. I like being able to work for myself."

"Yeah, I can't really see you working for someone else."

"But, I told him I'd help him out whenever his regular mechanic wasn't around."

"That's nice."

It was quiet for a moment before Jacob said, "Bell? I need to talk to you about something else."

"Okay. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." He pushed ahead. "Do you remember how Rosalie mentioned I should start a website?"

"Yeah, that was actually a really good idea."

"It was. She had someone get in touch with me about it."

"That's great!"

"Yeah. She said I made her client really happy and this was kind of like payback."

"That was really generous of her."

He cleared his throat. "You could say that."

There was another pause. Bella asked, "What's wrong? Is there something else?"

There was another hesitation before Jacob said, "The person whose helping me get this website started is. . . fantastic."

"I'm glad, but knowing Rosalie, I'm not surprised."

"That's true, but. . . I meant. . ."

She never knew Jacob to be so reticent. He always spoke his mind. "Jacob, you're starting to worry me."

"Her name is Carlie."

She waited for her him to continue.

"She's the same age as me. She's really smart and. . . pretty."

Bella's eyebrows shot up. This was new territory for them. "So, do you like her?"

He sighed and said, "Yes."

"Oh, well. . . that's. . . nice." She slapped her forehead with her hand. _Nice?_

Jacob didn't say anything.

Bella chose her words carefully. "Do you think she likes you?"

It took him a second to respond. "Yes."

She chuckled. "Pretty confident, aren't we?"

"Bella, I know she does."

There wasn't any cockiness or presumption in his voice. He stated it as a fact. "But. . . how do you know?"

"We've only known each other for a couple of days, but. . . something clicked and. . . I don't know if I can explain it."

"Jacob, are you saying she's. . . the one?"

"Bella, I'm sorry." His voice was rough.

She felt tears roll down her cheeks. "I don't understand."

"I. . . I tried not to like her, but I. . . There was this pull I couldn't fight."

She swiped the moisture from her face. "That sounds amazing."

"It's scary."

They were quiet for some time.

Jacob said, "I'm sorry."

"There's no reason why you should apologize."

"You probably think I'm a jerk."

"Why would I think that?"

"Well, just a few days ago, I told you that if I had a chance with you, I'd fight for you. Now, I'm telling you that I'm in love with someone else."

She gasped. "You're in love with her?"

He swore.

"Jacob, I don't know what to say."

"I don't blame you if you hated me."

"I could never hate you, Jacob."

"It would be easier if you did."

"Jacob, I'm surprised that's all. This is happening so fast."

"I know. Carlie's scared, too. We're trying to take things slow."

"Slow?"

"Bella, please don't ask."

She swallowed hard. "Have you guys already-"

"No." He let out a deep sigh. "We almost- But we decided it was too soon and we should wait."

Bella almost dropped her phone.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know. I'm afraid that you're going to get hurt."

He let out a small laugh. "I know, but I don't know how to explain this." After a moment, he continued, "It's like how you know that Edward is the one."

"Jacob, I don't think-"

"I know it's different. You've known your whole life that Edward is the one. I know it sounds ridiculous that I know how I feel about Carlie after only two days, but does the amount of time you know a person really make a difference? The pull toward the other person is there or not, right?"

She couldn't disagree.

Jacob continued, "I mean, I get it now, Bella. I understand how you can feel that way for Edward and no one else."

"Oh, Jacob." She covered her mouth to block the sob welling up in her throat from escaping.

"I just don't know where that leaves us?"

She swallowed hard again. "Us?"

"I do love you, Bell. But. . . I don't know. . . do you think we can still be friends?"

She laughed. "Yes."

"Okay."

"I don't want you to get hurt, but if you really believe that Carlie can make you happy, then I think that's wonderful."

"Thank you."

After a moment, Jacob asked, "How are things with you and Edward? He's not with you, right now? Is he?"

She laughed again. "No, I'm actually back home. I had to do Emmett's laundry, too."

"Geez."

"Yeah. But it's okay."

"Have you talked to Edward?"

She let out a heavy breath. "You know, we seem to talk about a lot of other things except what matters most."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm scared."

It took a moment for Jacob to respond. "You have a right to know, Bella."

"Do I?"

"Yes!" His tone was agitated. "Who's to say he wouldn't leave like that again?"

That question nagged in the back of her mind a lot lately especially since it felt like she and Edward were developing an intimate familiarity with each other that they'd never had before. This morning's discussion about when they each lost their virginity was such new territory for them. Back in high school, they never talked about anything remotely related to sex.

Then the fact that they had slept together nearly the whole week. Of course, nothing happened, but Bella remembered the charge she felt laying next to him in the dark the previous night.

Things felt like they were changing between her and Edward, but she wasn't sure if Edward felt the same way. She realized that during every interaction they had together Edward was affectionate, but he never intimated that he felt anything more than just a friendly attachment.

And why did he leave seven years ago and cut her off completely?

Jacob's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Bella?"

Bella squared her shoulders "I'm going to try and talk to him about it this weekend."

"Good."

They talked for a few more minutes mostly about Carlie. After listening to Jacob talk about her, it was obvious how strong he felt for her. She hoped that he didn't get hurt.

They said goodnight and Bella turned off her phone. She couldn't handle anymore late night calls. She went downstairs to switch her laundry. She checked the time and saw that it was after one.

She decided to call it a night and try to get the rest of her laundry done tomorrow. When she got back to her room, Bella packed up her school stuff off of her bed.

She changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas. Then she shut the light off and crawled into bed. Once Bella's head hit the pillow, she was out. She was too tired to miss the warmth of Edward's body next to her which was just as well. She needed time to fortify her resolve so that she could ask Edward the real reason why he left all those years ago.

/#/

Edward had already loaded his stuff in Carlisle's Land Rover and was now checking things around the house, making sure the windows were locked, the kitchen was clear, and none of the lights were accidentally left on. While he was checking things, the _Nutcracker _echoed through the house.

He reached into his back pocket, took out his cell, and answered it. "Alice, I'm checking the house, making sure it's okay before I leave."

"Well, I'm sure it'll be okay. Just make sure to tell the house no wild parties while we're gone."

He chuckled.

Alice continued, "I thought you guys were going to leave earlier." It was eight in the morning.

Edward had been checking the stove, making sure all the knobs were turned off. "Alice, give us a break. Bella had a long night. She's been working on her final and she had to do laundry. Hers and Emmett's."

"Really? I thought she'd have it all taken care of sooner rather than later."

Edward tried to keep the anger out of his voice. "Well, between you and Rosalie, you guys have her running around everywhere, it's no wonder she hasn't had time for herself."

It was quiet for a minute before Alice said, "I'm sorry. This wedding has really clouded my perception. I didn't mean. . ."

"It's alright, Alice." He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling guilty for his remark to his sister.

"No, I completely forgot that Bella has finals next week. I'll talk to her about it." After a second, she said, "Now, why are you upset?"

Edward was upstairs, checking that there weren't any lights on in any of the bedrooms and bathrooms. He was about to go into Alice's room, but stopped when he heard her question. "What are you talking about?"

"Edward, I know that tone. What's got you riled up?"

He checked Alice's bedroom and bathroom and then went to check his parents' master suite. "Nothing. I didn't quite finish my write up like I had hoped."

"I'm sorry. I never told you how much I appreciated you coming down to help with the wedding."

He shut the door to his parents' suite and walked to his room. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry I've become such a bridezilla."

He reached for the door knob and turned it. "You're not a bridezilla."

"I've become so self centered. I hate being like this."

He walked into his room. "Alice, it's your wedding. You're allowed to be the center of attention."

"Not if it means interfering with other people's love lives."

He was about to walk back out of his room, but stopped at Alice's comment. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been so blind."

"Alice-"

"I promise I'll make it up to you. I won't bring up the wedding at all, so you and Bella can just focus on each other."

"Alice, don't start trying to create opportunities between me and Bella. Things are fine between us."

"Fine? What do you mean fine?"

He sat on his bed. "I mean _fine_."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't you want things to be more than _just_ fine?"

He placed his elbow on his knee and put his head in his hand. "I'm not having this conversation with you."

"Edward, sooner or later you're going to have to come to terms with your feelings for Bella and deal with them."

He lifted his head. "What?"

"How much longer are you going to deny how you feel about Bella?"

"I haven't denied anything."

"Come on, Edward. You-" Alice hesitated for a second. "Wait, what did you say?"

He repeated himself. "I haven't denied anything."

"So. . . wait, then you do. . ."

"I do," he drew in a deep breath, "very much."

"Oh, Edward."

He could practically hear her smiling over the phone.

She continued, "Have you told her? What did she say?"

"It's not that simple, Alice."

"What? Why not? Just tell her."

Edward rested his head in his hand again. "I will. I just. . . I'm waiting for the right time."

"This weekend will be the right time."

"Alice, don't even think about-"

"The cabin is so nice during this time of year."

"Alice, I said-"

"It would be perfect if you told her one evening while we were out having a bonfire."

"Alice, don't interfere."

"But-"

"No. This is between me and Bella."

"But-"

"Alice, promise."

It took a minute before she said, "I promise I won't interfere."

"And don't go and try to get Jasper or Rosalie to do your dirty work either."

"Damn it, Edward! Come on!"

"Hey, if I'm going to do this, I'm doing this my way. You're not going to manipulate this into one of your fantasies or something."

"That was harsh." She sounded hurt.

"Alice." He had an edge to his voice.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, fine. I'll mind my own business."

"Good."

After a moment, Alice said, "So, when are you guys leaving?"

He checked his watch. It was half past the hour. "I'm going to pick up Bella in a few minutes."

"Wait, she's not there?"

"No, she had stay at home because she had to take care of all that stuff." He stood up. "I called her earlier this morning to see when she'd be ready, and she said she needed more time because she hadn't finished her laundry." He walked out of his room and down the stairs.

"Gosh, she's really been working hard, hasn't she?"

"Yeah." Edward locked the French doors. "I have to finish locking up the house. I'll see you later, Alice."

"Okay. See you later."

They hung up.

Alice dialed Bella's number.

She picked up on the second ring. "Alice, I'm almost done packing. We'll be leaving real soon."

"Bella, I'm sorry you had to stay up doing laundry and you haven't had time to work on your final."

"Oh." Bella wasn't expecting that. "Don't worry about it. Things will work out."

"No, I've been really selfish."

"Alice, don't say that. You deserve a beautiful wedding." Bella resumed her attention on packing.

"I just talked to Edward."

"Oh?" She tried to sound unconcerned.

"Yeah, he said he was coming over in a few minutes."

_Crap, _she thought and she started throwing stuff in her bag.

"He'll wait if you need more time."

"I know, but I don't really want to make him wait. We're already late as it is getting out there." She trotted to the bathroom to get the toiletries she left out.

"Don't worry about that. What are you packing?"

"What?" She hauled her toiletries back to her room.

"What are you bringing with you?"

"I don't know." She looked in her bag and started naming off what was in it.

When she was done, Alice said, "No."

Bella's brow wrinkled. "What?"

"Bella, where are the new clothes that I bought you?"

"They're here."

"Why aren't you bringing any of them with you?"

"We're just going to the cabin. I don't need to dress up."

"Those aren't dress up clothes. They're for everyday wear."

Bella shook her head. Obviously they both had different view points on what was considered every day wear.

Alice began telling her which clothes to bring.

Bella said, "That means I have to repack everything."

"Trust me. You'll thank me later."

"What are you talking about?" Bella proceeded to take out the clothes in her bag and switched them out with the new ones Alice bought.

"Nothing. Make sure you pack that dark blue v-neck shirt."

"It's going in as we speak."

"Good. And oh! Bring the nice underwear too."

"Alice!"

"If you want to put some of the old, non-sexy underwear that's fine, but please make sure you pack some of the new stuff."

"Whatever." She couldn't admit to Alice that she already had. She did not want to go there with Alice.

There was a knock downstairs.

Bella felt her heart skip a beat. "I think Edward is here."

"Oh, good. Well, I'll see you later."

"Okay."

Bella hung up her phone and went downstairs to answer the door. When she opened it, Edward was standing in the doorway with a warm expression on his face.

"Hey," he said.

She smiled and felt her heart beat faster. She stepped back. "I'm still packing."

He walked in. "That's okay. I don't mind waiting."

She gestured toward the living room. "Um, you can watch TV or. . ."

They were standing in the foyer a couple of feet apart. She felt silly. They had only been separated for one night and she found herself wanting to throw her arms around him. This was such a different reaction than the first time she had seen him when he returned. She had wanted to slug him in the face. Her feelings were so different now.

He slightly dipped his head to the side. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

She blinked several times snapping herself out of her daze. "You can bring down Emmett's bag." She turned to go up the stairs, but then stopped mid-stride. "Oh, wait. There were a couple of things I was waiting for in the dryer that hadn't completely dried last night. Let me go check to see if they're ready." Bella walked toward the kitchen where the laundry room was located.

"Okay. I'll just wait upstairs." When he didn't hear Bella oppose him, Edward climbed the steps.

He thought about waiting in Emmett's room, but nothing in there interested him, so he went to wait in Bella's room. When he walked in her room, he saw that she was indeed in the middle of packing. She had piles of clothes on her bed still and it looked like she was still deciding what to bring.

He looked around the room and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the memory of the last time he was in here. He would never forget the image of Bella's naked body illuminated in the sunlight. It was hard to believe that it only happened barely a week ago.

He also remembered that Bella didn't have much in her room in the way of decorations except the pictures on the wall. At the time, he was much too distracted by Bella trying to conceal herself with her bedsheet to pay attention to the pictures. He turned around to look at them more closely this time.

He walked to the one on the right and his initial reaction was that it was strange that she had pictures of the woods hanging in her room. Then something in the right corner of the picture caught his attention and he took a closer look. He saw the tops of a football goal post among the tree line. He almost laughed. It was what you saw right before you came upon the football field back in Forks. He was very familiar with that view because it had been part of his morning run before school started.

His interest was piqued, so he walked over to the other two pictures hanging on the left side of her room.

"Edward?"

"Yeah, I'm over here."

"I'm just going to finish packing Emmett's stuff, and I'll bring it over to you when I'm done, so you can bring it down to the car."

"Alright." He would've said that he could get Emmett's stuff when she was done, but he was preoccupied with the pictures on the wall.

The next one he studied was an image of the school auditorium. Again, he thought it was odd that she had this picture hung up in her room, but then he saw the grand piano on the stage. It looked like it was set up for a recital. This was another very familiar image to him. In fact, it looked like the picture had been taken either before or after a recital because some of the orchestra pit chairs and stands were missing. Then he looked at the last one.

It was a picture of a meadow.

No, it was _the _meadow.

_She'd gone back by herself? When did she go? Why did she?_ he thought.

He glanced at all the pictures again. They somehow made him feel like he was being displayed here in her room. Everything was related to something in his life back in high school. Football and music are what defined him back then. And the meadow? That experience was uniquely his and Bella's. But he couldn't allow himself to believe that all these pictures revolved around him. The conceit to even have that idea made him feel guilty.

But he still couldn't help hoping.

Before he could dwell on the meaning of these pictures any longer, Bella returned to her room with Emmett's bag. She set it next to the door by Edward's feet.

"Sorry this is taking so long." She went straight to her own bag not giving Edward a backward glance. "I'm almost done. I mean, I would've been finished, but Alice called and wanted to know which clothes I was packing."

At the mention of Alice's name, Edward snapped out of his thoughts. "Alice? What else did she say?"

She shrugged. "Nothing much. She felt bad though for all the wedding stuff."

"Yeah." He ran his fingers through his hair in attempt to calm his thoughts and focus on the conversation. "She said she felt like a bridezilla."

Bella let out a small laugh. "She tends to exaggerate way too much sometimes."

He nodded. "Um, I'm going to take Emmett's bag to the car."

"Alright." Bella continued folding clothes and putting them in her bag. "I'm almost done."

"Take your time." He picked up Emmett's bag and walked downstairs.

When he put Emmett's bag in the car, Edward hung back for a moment. He wasn't sure what to think about what he discovered. To anyone else, they probably looked like random pictures, but there was definitely significance in those images.

There were dozens of reasons why Bella would have those pictures, but only one reason that he never allowed himself to consider. There was no mistake that those pictures had brought on a renewed hope that Edward might have a small chance with Bella.

He shut the hatch to the SUV and returned to the house. He wasn't going to rush into anything, but decided that this weekend he was going to test the waters with Bella's feelings toward him.

/#/

Lake Crescent was nestled near Olympic National Park. It was about forty miles from Forks which made it the perfect summer getaway. The lake was most reknowned for its amazing clear blue water and its historic Spruce Railroad Trail. It was less than an hour away which was convenient and since the Cullens owned a cabin on the outskirts of the small town of Piedmont which was just outside the lake, it was a relatively inexpensive holiday.

However, everyone was coming from Seattle which was just over one hundred miles away. If traffic was good and there was no wait for the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston, the trip took three to four hours from Seattle.

Edward and Bella arrived in Piedmont in the early part of the afternoon. They stopped at a local grocery store to stock up for the weekend. Once they finished their shopping and loaded up the car, they finally drove to the cabin.

The Cullens' cabin was just a mile out of Piedmont. There was an unmarked road paved with gravel to get there. Bella felt a sense of nostalgia well up at the familiar sound of the crunch under the tires and the dense foliage of the trees and bushes.

The last time Bella had been to the cabin was with Alice at the end of their senior year. It was a graduation present from her parents and Alice invited a few other friends along.

Bella watched the lush greenery pass outside of the passenger side window. "When was the last time you came to the cabin?"

Edward was concentrating on the road. "It's been a while. I think it's been three or four years."

Bella's attention was snapped back into the car and she looked at Edward. "Really? I don't remember you coming for a visit."

At this comment, Edward's brow wrinkled. He looked like he was trying very hard to make sure not drive off the road, but instead he realized that he had not meant to reveal that detail.

She turned to face him. "Edward?"

He relaxed his features and after a moment he said, "I think you were visiting your mom at the time."

"Oh." She looked out the window again. "That's too bad."

He slowed the car to sneak a glance at Bella. He couldn't see her face, but her reflection in the window revealed she had a contemplative expression.

He pressed on the accelerator and said, "I hope the others get here soon. It's really hard to drive on this road at night."

Bella shifted in her seat, out of her thoughts. "Yeah. It gets so dark and the road seems so much longer than it really is."

He nodded in agreement. It was only another mile out to the cabin, but at night since there were no street lamps to light the way and if you were unfamiliar with the road, it was quite an ominous path to drive.

They came around a bend in the road and at the end they saw a flash of white. Bella couldn't help smiling. As they got closer to the house, the branches of the trees seemed to part and the cabin came into full view.

Bella always thought that the cabin was so much more than the usual lodgings one expects to find out in these parts of the wilderness. The cabin had originally started as a family cottage that had been in Esme's family. Most people assumed that the Cullens' wealth came from Carlisle's career in medicine and his interests in real estate and investing. However, if you grew up in Forks, everyone knew that Esme's family, the Evensons, started the mill and eventually her family also invested in railroads. Their most noted endeavor now known as the Spruce Railroad trail.

The cabin retained much of its historical cottage details. It still had faded white siding and grey rooftop shingles. It originally had two bedrooms, a wood burning pot belly stove, and an outhouse which was the height of modernization at the turn of the century.

Through the years, Esme's family improved and expanded on it. Now, there were two floors with an adjoining veranda. It now had three bedrooms and a guest room, a kitchen with modern amenities and granite countertops, and a living area complete with an entertainment system.

When Bella walked into the cabin, she said, "What the hell happened here?"

Edward chuckled. "My mom's idea of roughing it."

She gave him a look of disbelief.

This time he laughed. "Why don't you have a look around. I'll bring everything in."

"Oh, no. I'll help you." She turned to leave with him.

He shook his head. "I got it. Besides, I'm sure your curious to see how it's changed."

She couldn't deny that she was.

Edward didn't wait for a response and disappeared through the front door.

Bella stood in the foyer where the stairs began. She decided instead to go to the living room which was off to the right. She was glad to see that it was very much like it had been with the large stone fireplace at one end and the plush sectional in front of it. There was a flat screen television above the fireplace that wasn't there before. Next to the fireplace was the a French door that lead out to the patio that she and Alice would sometimes go to to lay out when they were teenagers.

She walked to the door and when she went through it, she was taken aback by how much it had changed. It was now enclosed, but the walls were made of windows. The golden hardwood floor spilled out onto the veranda and gone were the deck chairs. Instead dark wicker chairs and love seats were spread throughout the room.

Although the changes were nice and it was more cozy than the patio was, Bella couldn't help feeling sad that a part of her childhood was gone.

"Everything alright?"

Bella turned around and saw that Edward was standing in the doorway.

She gave him a small smile. "I didn't know the patio was gone."

His expression was sympathetic. "This has been here for a while." He took a step forward. "When we all left home, my mom had this remodeled into a solarium. She likes being able to enjoy the outdoors without having to be outside."

Bella laughed.

Edward continued, "And my dad likes that since there's no patio, it doesn't have to be refinished all the time."

"That makes sense." She looked out the windows and was pleased that you could still see the lake.

They stood next to each other watching the view in companionable silence when Edward said, "Alice called and said that she and Jasper would be here in a couple of hours. Have you heard from Emmett?"

"I think he and Rosalie will be here around the same time."

He snuck a glance at her. "I brought in the luggage. They're out by the front door. I wasn't sure. . ."

Bella's eyes lit up. "I got dibs on the guest room!" She rushed out of the solarium as if someone else might beat her to it.

Edward followed her, feeling slightly confused and a little disappointed. "The guest room?"

When she got to the front door, she slung one bag over her shoulder and picked up her other bag.

Edward held out his hands. "I can help you with those."

She waved him off and went straight to the guest room. "I got it."

Bella believed that the guest room was the best room in the cabin. It was separate from the other rooms and had it's own bathroom. The best part was that it had access to the solarium and another door that had steps leading down to the lake.

When she walked in, she was surprised again by the changes. The wood in the other parts of the house was a warm, golden color. The guest room had rich, chocolate wood accents. A full size bed with a blue and green plaid bed spread had replaced the single bed that used to be in the room. There was a nondescript door that opened to the enclosed veranda, but what surprised Bella the most was the double French doors that lead out to the lake. It gave the room so much natural light and provided a serene backdrop of the natural scenery.

"Wow," she mumbled and dropped her bags on the floor. She walked to the French doors and opened them.

There was a porch with steps leading down to the lake. On the porch were two deck chairs and a small table.

Edward stood next to Bella on the porch. "I didn't know my mom had changed the guest room."

She shielded her eyes and cast a look around. "I thought it was nice before, but this is amazing."

"It was good to call dibs on this room." He turned to look at her.

"Emmett's going to be so jealous." She wore a pleased expression on her face.

"You know, the bedrooms upstairs aren't all that bad."

"I know. Everything about this place is fantastic, but I like that this is more private than the other bedrooms."

"Alice might fight you for it."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll tell her that after all the stuff she put me through, I deserve some kind of compensation."

"You really do fight dirty," he said in a teasing manner.

She shrugged and walked back into the room. "I'm going to put the groceries away and then start dinner."

"Let me go put my stuff upstairs and then I'll come back to help you."

"Okay."

They walked out of the guest room.

Before Bella went to the kitchen, Edward asked, "Would you like to see upstairs too?"

She shook her head. "Maybe later. I'm making baked pasta for dinner and I want to get it in the oven as soon as possible." She headed to the kitchen.

Edward watched her retreating figure and let out a deep sigh. He went to the foyer to get his stuff and bring it upstairs to his room. As he climbed the stairs, he couldn't help feeling slightly dismayed that Bella didn't seem like she missed him at all after spending a night away from each other. She had fallen asleep for most of the time on the drive here and then she seemed so preoccupied with the shopping and the renovations to the cabin. Now she was focused on dinner.

At the top of the stairs, Edward went to the first door on the left. His room had a view of the drive that led up to the house. The room also had dark wood accents and a full size bed with a blue and red plaid comforter. He put his luggage down and went back down to help Bella in the kitchen.

When he got there, she was halfway done putting away the groceries and immediately put him to work, so she could start dinner. Once he was done putting away the groceries, she set him to chop vegetables for the pasta and salad. Bella was getting the meat sauce ready.

Most of what they said to each other was either Bella telling him what to do next or Edward clarifying how she wanted something chopped. It wasn't exactly how Edward wanted to spend his time with Bella, but he wanted to please her, so he concentrated on doing what she said with as much attention to detail as possible.

They spent a little over an hour getting the baked pasta and salad prepped for dinner. Then they cleaned up the kitchen and set the table. Alice and Jasper arrived midway through the preparations, and then Rosalie and Emmett arrived about ten minutes later.

It was a merry reunion. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie were all excited about spending the weekend at the cabin after having been working all week. They were also very eager about dinner and appreciative of Bella and Edward's efforts. Bella said that dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes, so while dinner finished cooking, the newcomers went to get their luggage and sort out the rooms.

Alice and Jasper immediately claimed the master bedroom where Esme and Carlisle usually slept and went upstairs to put away their things. To Bella and Edward's surprise, Emmett and Rosalie were trying to decide who would get the last room. Emmett offered to sleep on the couch. Rosalie asked if she could stay with Bella.

Bella gave Rosalie a surprised look. "Really? You want to sleep with me instead of with my brother?" They'd arrived together and based on how they held hands when they walked in, Bella assumed that things between them were settled.

Emmett's voice had a warning tone. "Bella."

She looked at her brother. "What? I just thought. . . since you guys saw each other in Portland that. . . you two were-"

Emmett's voice got loud. "Bella!"

Bella finished with saying, "Dating." She gave her brother a confused expression. "What did you think I was going to say?"

Edward covered his mouth, but his shoulders were shaking. Rosalie couldn't help giggling. The tops of Emmett's ears were red.

"Nothing," he muttered and ran his fingers through his hair.

Rosalie cleared her throat. "So, it looks like I'm bunking with Emmett." She gave Emmett a knowing smile.

Emmett returned the smile. "Um. . . well, I guess if it's okay with you."

Rosalie let a sigh, pretending to be put out. "I suppose so."

Emmett grinned, but his smile dimmed when he looked at Bella. She was watching the exchange between him and Rosalie with an innocent expression. Edward's expression was mild amusement.

Edward put an arm around Bella's shoulder. He guided her back to the kitchen. "Why don't we check on dinner?"

Edward got a glass out to get a drink while Bella peeked into the oven.

Once Rosalie and Emmett disappeared from the kitchen, Bella said, "They are totally doing it."

Edward had been in the middle of taking a sip of water and almost choked when he heard Bella's words. He cleared his throat. "What did you say?"

"I can't believe that they've done it already." She looked at him in disbelief. "Don't tell me you didn't notice the way they were talking to each other about sharing a room."

He tried to keep from laughing. "Does that bother you?"

She shrugged. "They haven't known each other long. Don't you think it happened kind of fast?"

"For Emmett and Rosalie?" He gave her a small smile. "I think it's on par for the course."

Bella's mouth dropped open in shock.

"What?" he asked.

"But. . . Emmett's never brought anyone home before and I don't think he usually moves this fast when he's dating."

Edward hesitated before he said, "Well, just because he never brought anyone home doesn't mean he hasn't. . . he might be. . . taking care of that. . . some place else."

Bella's eyes widened and then a look of recognition spread across her face.

"Bella?" he asked with concern in his voice.

She let out a short sigh. "That makes sense. I mean, there's no way Emmett's a virgin, but this whole time I thought he was being. . . stoic."

Edward laughed.

After a second, Bella asked, "Why do you think they made such a big deal about not sharing a room at first?"

"I think Emmett was trying to. . . protect you."

"Protect me? From what?"

He shrugged. "Is there a reason why he doesn't want you thinking he has sex?"

Bella thought for a minute and another expression of recognition crossed her face. "Lauren Mallory."

"Lauren Mallory?"

"He didn't tell you?"

Edward shook his head. "Tell me what?"

"I suppose he wouldn't. It was really awkward."

His eyebrows shot up. "What happened?"

Bella proceeded to recount how back in high school she had walked in on Emmett and Lauren making out and seeing Emmett with his hand on Lauren's breast.

Edward cringed. "I'm sorry."

She waved her hand. "It's okay. I managed to survive it, but Emmett has been really careful about stuff like that ever since."

After a moment, he asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded. "But at the time, I wasn't. I was still in middle school and I didn't get why a girl would want to take her shirt off and let a guy touch her like that."

Edward had become very still and his eyes had widened.

Bella caught the expression and said, "Was that too much information? I'm sorry." She let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm Emmett's sister."

Edward relaxed and let out a small laugh.

The timer went off and Bella went to take out the pasta from the oven. Edward went to the refrigerator to take out the salad. She called out that dinner was ready and a few minutes later everyone was sitting around the table.

Dinner was a loud, boisterous affair. Everyone shared how their week went and talked about all the things there would be to do while they were at the lake. It added a touch of excitement in the air. Emmett suggested that after dinner, they go down by the lake to have a bonfire and eat s'mores. Alice was quick to second the motion and shot Edward a glance. Edward didn't miss the look from Alice and subtly rolled his eyes.

Since Edward and Bella made dinner, everyone else pitched in to clean up. While everyone was was doing that, Bella excused herself to change into something a little warmer. Once in her room, Bella opened her bag and searched for the blue v-neck shirt she packed. She knew it would be pointless to wear because she was going to put a sweater over it, but she put it on anyway in the hopes that maybe Edward would get to see her in it.

/#/

The night sky was clear which made it easy to see the stars. The moon was full and its reflection off the water rippled gently. It had cooled off quite a bit, but blankets were brought out and the bonfire was burning bright.

It was actually a bit cooler than Bella liked and she wished she had worn her own sweatshirt. However, after Alice had helped finish cleaning up after dinner, she popped in to Bella's room to see what she'd be wearing. She was pleased that Bella chose to wear the blue v-neck shirt, but was against her putting the sweatshirt over it. Instead, Alice passed on a cropped knitted black sweater. It had one button which Alice insisted that it be left unbuttoned. Alice reassured her that she looked fabulous, but Bella thought it was impractical and she'd freeze her butt outside.

While Alice went to change, Bella went to the kitchen to get the s'mores ingredients. Edward had returned wearing a jacket and had blankets from the hall closet.

The way Edward had stared at her made Bella feel self-conscious and she thought that maybe even he saw the impracticality of the sweater. She was about to change when he put the blankets down and walked over and kissed her on the forehead.

She asked him what the kiss was for and he told her there weren't any words for the way she looked.

They were now sitting near the fire Emmett had started. They had been all sitting around the fire and eating s'mores when Emmett started talking about the best places on the lake to fish. Jasper listened with rapt attention and soon both guys were up and walking to the lake's edge while Emmett pointed out the different spots. Alice and Rosalie grudgingly followed, but since Edward and Bella had no interest in fishing, they stayed behind.

The others were still in their line of vision, but were well out of ear shot which was just as well. Emmett could go on and on about fishing and it was worse when he was with Charlie.

Edward pulled a roasted marshmallow from the fire and placed it on the chocolate and graham cracker he had waiting in his other hand. He put the roasting wire down and picked up another graham cracker to top the s'more. Then he passed it to Bella.

She couldn't help grinning when she took it. "You know, you're spoiling me, right?"

He put another marshmallow on the roasting wire. "But, I thought you liked s'mores."

She spoke in between bites. "I do, but this is like the fourth s'more. I'm going to get sick."

Edward lifted the marshmallow out of the fire. "Should I stop then?"

Bella finished off the s'more and licked her fingers. "Well, since you've already started on that one, I wouldn't want it to go to waste."

He laughed and lowered the marshmallow back into the fire.

The fire felt nice and Bella could feel the warmth on her cheeks, but just then there was a soft breeze which caused Bella to involuntarily shiver.

"Cold?" he asked.

Bella shook her head, but wrapped her arms around herself.

He chuckled. "Here, hold this." He passed the roasting wire to Bella and stood up to get one of the blankets that were left behind by the others.

Bella shifted in her spot. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's okay. I really should've worn my sweatshirt instead of this."

He came back with a blanket. He handed it to Bella and took the roasting wire back from her. "It's not being used anyway. Besides you look like you really need it."

She took it and spread it over her legs. She felt like an idiot. It was one of those lessons of fashion over comfort. If she was a real girl, she'd be able to deal with it. She didn't know how Alice and Rosalie sacrificed comfort for looking fabulous.

After a moment she said, "You know, maybe I should get my own sweater. This is Alice's and she thought this would go better with this shirt, but it's not very warm."

Edward finished putting together the last s'more and passed it to Bella. Once she took it, he began to take off his jacket.

Her eyes widened and she held up her free hand. "No, please don't. I'm the one who listened to Alice. You don't have to suffer because of that."

He finished unzipping his jacket. "I have a sweater underneath, so I'll be fine."

Bella narrowed her eyes and saw that he was wearing one, but it was a light weight sweater. She shook her head and started to get up. "It's okay. I'll be right back."

"Bella, it's fine." He started to shrug out of his jacket.

Bella held up her hand in a stop gesture. "If you take it off, I will feel really bad and I'll end up running back to the house for my sweater anyway."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "If I put my jacket on, will you come back and sit down?"

She nodded. Then she sat down and put the blanket over her legs again.

After a moment, he said, "Are you sure you're warm enough?"

Bella rubbed a hand on her leg. "Yeah."

He shook his head and shifted in his spot.

Before Bella knew what was happening, Edward had moved behind her. He stretched out his legs so that she was sitting in between them. She felt his hand on her waist, guiding her backward. Soon her back touched his chest, then Edward adjusted his jacket so that it shielded Bella from the cool air.

It took a minute for Bella to register everything and then once she did, she was suddenly aware of Edward's physical presence. The way he smelled, the warmth emanating from his body, and his arm wrapped around her waist made her breath uneven.

Edward misunderstood her labored breathing and thought she was shivering. He lowered his face next to hers. "Are you warm enough?"

She gulped and hoped he couldn't hear her. "Yes, thanks."

"Are you sure you don't want another s'more?"

Bella still had the one he made from before. "No, I'm good." She nibbled on it when she normally would've plowed right in.

"So, do you think Emmett's still talking about fishing?"

She narrowed her eyes and saw that Emmett was waving his arms around while Jasper listened. Rosalie and Alice were standing a couple of feet away in their own conversation. "Judging from what I can see, it looks like he still is."

"Maybe we should go over there and save them."

She shook her head. "You can go. I've heard Emmett talk about fishing to last five lifetimes."

He chuckled and then poked at the logs to keep the fire burning.

Bella finished up her s'more and shifted in her spot. She chanced a look at him. Edward was slightly turned to face the fire while he prodded it. The light from the fire cast flickering shadows on his features. Her eyes traced the outline of his profile and lingered on his lips. Her eyes then wandered to his ear lobe and she bit her lip when she saw the scar.

"See something you like?" He teased.

Bella sat up quick. She tried to move away, but Edward kept his hand on her waist.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Where are you going?"

"It was getting a little warm." That wasn't a lie. She managed to turn so that she was facing him. He seemed appeased by that, so he let her go.

He had a small smile on his lips. "You were staring."

She definitely wasn't lying about feeling warm. Now she felt her cheeks burn. "I didn't mean to."

His eyebrows shot up. "You didn't mean to stare at me?"

She looked at the fire and then back at him. "I. . . I meant, I didn't mean to stare at your scar."

His brow creased. "My scar?"

Bella tapped the spot below her right ear.

Edward reached up and touched the same spot under his ear. It took him a second for him to remember the scar, and when he did he looked at her with a surprised expression. "You remember that?"

"Of course I do. I remember you had to wear one of those big white gauze bandages for a week."

He chuckled. "I forgot about that."

"How could you forget? Emmett was such a jerk. He didn't even sit next to Lauren the next day."

He shrugged. "I think he felt bad."

"Yeah, I guess so." She snuck him a look before she looked back at the fire. "I didn't mean to stare. I just. . . it's kind of like knowing a secret about you."

His eyebrows knitted together. "A secret?"

"Well, it's not that easy to see and. . . not many people know how you got it."

"True." His eyes had a playful glint in them. "I know some secrets about you."

She gave him a confused expression.

He lifted her left arm and pulled her sleeve up. On the underside of her elbow there was a scar in the shape of an irregular strawberry. "You got that when I was trying to teach you how to ride a skateboard."

Edward traced the scar with the tip of his finger. She held her breath, preventing the gasp that threatened to escape her lips. Then she took a deep breath. "Scraped elbows and knees don't count."

He pulled down her sleeve. "Why not?"

"Everyone has one, or in my case, both of those kinds of scars. There's nothing unique about them."

A corner of his mouth pulled up. "So, it has to be something only I'd know?"

She nodded. "That's how it's a secret."

His face became serious, but there was another look simmering in his eyes that Bella didn't recognize. It made her heart beat faster.

He looked down and brushed his fingers against hers. "On your right hip. There's a mark."

Bella's hand flew to her right hip.

Edward continued, "It's. . . in the shape of a. . . banana." He chuckled. "Or maybe it's a crescent moon."

Bella felt her stomach flip. "How did you know that?"

He looked up at her from under his eyelashes. "I've seen it."

She turned to face him. "But how did. . . When?"

He hesitated before he said, "That morning I went up to your room and you hardly had any clothes on."

Bella's cheeks reddened.

He continued, "You were. . . getting dressed and. . . you had turned around and dropped the bed sheet before I could. . . that's when I saw it."

Bella couldn't help letting a small laugh escape. "I was careless."

"Just a little." He returned her laugh.

After a moment, he said, "I'm curious. . ."

Her brow creased. "About what?"

He shifted in his spot to get closer to her. "Is it a scar? How did you get it? How long have you had it?"

She was surprised by his curiosity. "Oh. . . um, I was twelve and it was the result of a careless and unfortunate curling iron accident."

He winced. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "I guess that's why I have such an aversion to female attempts at beautification."

He gave her a good natured smile.

She wondered if there was anything else he was curious about.

"What?" he asked.

She looked at him. "What?"

He gave her a small smile. "You just asked me if I was curious about anything else."

"No, I didn't." _Oh my god! Did I say that out loud?_ she thought.

He grinned. "Yes, you did."

Bella was flustered. "I. . . I didn't mean. . . I was just. . . I think my filter is broken." She let out a frustrated sigh. "This is what I get for being Emmett's sister." She looked at him and his shoulders were shaking, but he was holding in his laughter.

She prattled on. "Of course you wouldn't be curious about anything else. Why would you be? I'm practically like a sister to you. Of course you wouldn't think about. . . there's no way you'd wonder about. . ." She threw off the blanket on her legs. "I'm going back to the cabin."

Edward caught her hand. "Wait, don't go." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I laughed. I just. . . I think it's cute your filter's broken."

She rolled her eyes, but she sat back down.

He continued, "And I don't think about you as a sister."

Her head snapped toward him. "You don't?"

He shook his head and gave her a meaningful look. "I haven't for a long time now."

Her brow furrowed. "But, we're friends though, right?"

"Of course we are. Always." He took her hand and squeezed.

She didn't realize how tense she was until she heard his words of assurance. Her shoulders relaxed.

"Bella, have you always thought of me as a brother type?"

"Well, when we were kids, yeah."

His eyebrows shot up. "But now?"

"Now? I don't think of you as a brother." She looked at the dying fire. "You've become a really good friend."

"A friend?" He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

She looked at him and nodded. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought she saw a hurt expression in his eyes. Then it quickly disappeared.

Instead an intense expression occupied his face. "Have you ever wondered. . . have you ever been curious about me and you. . ."

Bella couldn't believe what he was asking. She swallowed hard before she said, "Maybe."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

She held up her hands. "It was an accident."

His brow creased. "What? What do you mean an accident?"

"Well, it was something you said."

"What did I say?"

She took a deep breath and let it out. "It was that first night I spent at your parents' house. We were in your room."

He nodded.

She continued, "I was saying that I should take the couch and then you told me that you wanted me in your room that night." She shifted in her spot. "I know, what you meant, but. . . I couldn't help. . . thinking and then. . . I guess I had dreams about it."

He gave her a warm smile. "There's nothing wrong with that."

She shook her head. "Only that it's really humiliating to admit."

"Why?"

"Um. . . because things are going to be awkward between us now. You're probably weirded out that I-"

"I accidentally thought of you that way once, too."

Her mouth dropped open.

His brow wrinkled in concern. "Does that bother you?"

She shook her head, mostly to clear her daze. "No, I mean, it was an accident, right?"

"Yeah." He looked at her with a serious expression. "It just kind of happened."

"How did it happen?"

"It was in your garage. When you were working out."

She had a confused expression on her face. "I don't understand." She knew that she'd looked awful.

He let out a huge sigh. "Bella, I'm a man. If I see an attractive woman who's sweating and breathing hard, my mind goes straight to one thing."

It took half a minute for Bella to process Edward's words and when she did, she couldn't help the blush that spread on her cheeks.

Edward saw the hint of the blush. "Did I just make things really awkward between us?"

Bella shook her head. "Only if you feel weird that I-"

"No." He smiled. "I like that you've thought of me that way."

Her stomach flipped.

He moved closer to her. "Have you ever thought of me that way. . . on purpose?"

Bella looked down at her hands. "On purpose? You mean like not in a dream?"

Edward let out a small laugh. "Yeah."

Bella reached up and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Edward, I. . ." How could she say this without sounding like she was obsessed?

He shifted away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I might've." She was looking down. "And you?"

It took a second for Edward to realize what she had just admitted. Edward took one of her hands. "I might've, too."

His hand was warm and she did not want to let go. "So, what does this all mean?"

He squeezed her hand. "What do you think it means?"

Bella looked up at him and saw that he had an anxious expression. She held back the smile that almost spread across her lips. "Well, all this time I thought we had this wholesome friendship." She saw his face soften and small smile tug on the corner of his lips.

She continued in a teasing tone. "Now, I learn that you've had. . . less than pure thoughts about us together. How are things not going to be anything less than awkward between us?"

Edward studied her expression. She was smiling and there was a playful look in her eyes. "Well, it depends. We can pretend this conversation never happened, or. . ."

Bella raised her eyebrows.

He reached up and cupped her face. "Instead of things happening accidentally, they can happen on purpose."

She reached up and pressed his hand to her face. "Like this?"

He ran his thumb across the apple of her cheek. "Something like that."

Bella was caught by the smoldering expression in his eyes. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest. She turned her face and kissed his palm. Then she said, "Something more like that?"

Edward let out a short breath. Then he brought her face closer to his. In a low voice, "Something along these lines." He kissed her temple and then he kissed the spot right below her ear.

Then he raised his head, his face just an inch away. He touched his lips on hers, testing to make sure she wouldn't pull away.

Bella's breath was labored when she spoke. "Was that on purpose?"

He smiled against her lips. "Yes, I wasn't sure if it was okay if I-"

She tipped her chin up and kissed him. Then she pulled away and said, "That was on purpose, too."

Edward let out a small laugh and said, "I think I can get used to this."

Then suddenly they heard Emmett calling to them. "Hey, are you guys going to stay out here all night?"

They looked around and saw that Emmett was standing several yards away from the cabin. No one else was around.

Bella asked, "Where'd everyone go?"

He approached them. "Everyone's inside."

They pulled away from each other. Edward stood up and held out his hand. Bella took it and he helped her up.

"When did everyone go inside?" she asked.

Emmett was now standing with them. He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe an hour ago."

"An hour?" She smacked him on the arm.

He held up his hands. "Alice said that you guys wanted to hang out here a little while longer." He went over to the dying fire. "I just wanted to make sure this fire was out."

She groaned in frustration. "You guys would've left us out here all night?"

Emmett proceeded to bury the burnt wood. "I figured you guys would come in eventually."

Bella closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She couldn't really be upset. She was mostly annoyed at having to endure the cool evening outdoors which actually wasn't quite so bad either. If she was honest with herself, Bella enjoyed being alone with Edward and with the way things had progressed, she didn't even notice how cold it was anymore.

Edward rubbed her arm. "Let's go back inside, Bella."

She opened her eyes and saw that he had reached down and started folding blankets and that Emmett was packing away the stuff they brought out for s'mores.

Once they were done cleaning up, they headed back to the cabin. The bottom floor was deserted, but they could hear the others moving around upstairs. Emmett went to the kitchen to put back the food.

"Emmett, I can do that," Bella offered.

He waved his hand in the air. "I got it. You made dinner. It's the least I could do."

After he was done, he grabbed a beer from the fridge. "Either of you guys want one?"

They declined.

Emmett went over to the living room and switched on the television. "I'm just going to check the scores."

Bella let out a small laugh. _Great,_ she thought. Once Edward and Emmett got into watching sports, it was all over. She didn't have the stamina to sit through the highlights and their discussions about statistics and trades. "I'm going to bed."

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "You are?"

She nodded and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm pretty tired."

"Alright." He looked at Bella and then at Emmett who was already engrossed in the highlights. "I think I'm going to turn in, too."

Emmett looked up from the television. "You don't want to watch the highlights?"

He shook his head. "We were up pretty early. It'd be nice to get some sleep."

Emmett took a swig of his beer. "Right. I'll just be a few more minutes."

Edward looked at Bella. He wanted to somehow convey that he wanted to spend more time with her.

Bella saw the urgency in his expression and glanced at Emmett who was blissfully unaware of their silent communication. She looked back at Edward and gave him a small shrug.

He looked at Emmett and looked up at the ceiling in exasperation.

She gave him a small smile.

"Are you sure you guys don't want to watch?" Emmett asked and then took another swig of his beer.

"No," Bella groaned. Then she mouthed the word _sorry_ to Edward.

He smiled.

Bella took a step toward him and kissed him on the cheek. "Night."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead settled for saying goodnight.

Bella turned to Emmett and said, "Night, Emmett. Don't stay up too late."

He didn't look up. "Night. I'm just going to finish my beer and head off to bed."

Bella disappeared behind her door, but not before giving Edward one last look. Once she was gone, Edward told Emmett goodnight and headed up to his room.

Emmett's propensity for being extraordinarily obtuse never bothered Edward. He even considered that it might be nice to be able to accept things at face value and not over think things. However, this was the first time that Edward found Emmett's dense disposition to be a severe impediment in so many ways. He had never been on the receiving end of Emmett's thickheaded actions before. Maybe this is what Bella meant when she said that Emmett could be incredibly frustrating at times.

Edward would throw himself in front of a bus for Emmett, but he couldn't help wanting to throw Emmett in front of one right now.


	12. Chapter 12: Fuse

**Chapter Rating: NC-17 for sexual content**

That's right peoples. You read it right. If sex makes you uncomfortable, skip the first section.

Note: This chapter is 13, 557 words.

Author's Note to follow at the end (b/c I know you want to start reading!)

* * *

**Chapter 12 "Fuse"**

_Kiss me with your cherry lipstick_

_Never wash you off my face_

_Hit me I can take your cheap shots_

_leave you with the love we made_

"Night Drive" by Jimmy Eat World

Bella settled into the guest bed and reveled in the flannel sheets. The warmth that they retained were perfect after spending hours out by the lake. She wished she had brought a pair of lounge pants to sleep in. She was in such a rush this morning that it didn't occur to her that she might need them. But the soft feel of the brushed cotton felt nice against her skin and soon she was enveloped by them.

Her mind drifted to the conversation she'd had with Edward by the fire. There were so many new revelations about how they perceived each other. Bella turned them over in her mind. She almost could not believe that he didn't see her as a sister. She was relieved that he considered her a friend, but what really shocked her the most was the fact that he had thought about her in the most intimate way a man could think of another woman.

He had asked her if it bothered her that he had thought of her that way and she was honest when she said no. Surprised at the time, yes. But now? She wondered what he imagined them doing. How far would they go in his mind? What would he do to her? She groaned and flipped on her back. She knew she shouldn't torture herself this way, but she couldn't help it.

Her eyes fluttered shut and just as she was drifting away into a dream where she and Edward were the main stars, she heard a noise that caused her eyes to snap open. It sounded like something had fallen on the floor. Startled, she flipped on the bedside table light and saw that everything was in place.

When she didn't hear anything else, she switched off the light and flipped on her side. She was about to drift off to sleep again, when she heard a muffled thump and giggle. Bella crawled out of bed and went to the door. She opened it a crack, but the living room was empty. The giggling continued, so Bella went to the door that lead out to the solarium and slowly opened it. Nothing in there either. She pulled the curtain back from the double French doors, but the trees and lake were still.

She didn't hear anything for a while, so she crawled back into bed. However, as soon as she pulled the covers over herself, instead of giggles, Bella could hear a distinct moan and the name Emmett being said.

Bella sat up in her bed again, but this time she covered her mouth from yelling out loud. She couldn't believe this was happening.

She mumbled, "They wouldn't, would they?"

And just to erase any doubts, Rosalie's voice got louder and Bella could hear her expressing the type of moans that can only be created when a woman was in the throes of passion.

Bella covered her ears, but it was as if they knew she was listening because Rosalie became louder and suddenly she could hear the sound of springs in a bed being tested to its limits.

She jumped out of her bed and tore the comforter off it. She threw open her door and ran out to the living room. Then she wrapped the comforter around her shoulders and sat on the couch in the dark. She couldn't hear them as clearly out in the living room, but she could still hear the bed springs squeaking.

"Bella?"

She jumped up from the couch and let out a yelp. Edward was standing in the archway of the living room.

He held up his hands. "Whoa, are you okay?"

She wrapped the comforter tighter around her shoulders and shook her head.

Edward walked over to her and cupped her face in his hand. "What's the matter? You look scared."

She struggled to get the words out, "No. They. . . the noises. . ."

He leaned forward. "What?"

She looked up at him with a pained expression. "They. . . Rosalie and Emmett. . ."

Understanding dawned on Edward. He withdrew his hand from her Bella's face. "Yeah. They're quite. . . _amorous_ right now."

Her eyes widened in shock. "You heard them, too?"

He shifted in his spot. "My room is across from theirs."

"Well, mine is right below." She looked up at the ceiling. "What about Alice and Jasper? Do you think they can hear, too? I mean, if we could, they probably can too, right?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't hear any movement in their room or see any lights go on. Alice seemed pretty jet lagged from the flight."

Bella let out a sigh of relief. They stood in the living room for a minute. The only sound was the muffled squeak-squeak originating from upstairs.

She wanted to crawl under a rock and die. It was such a mortifying experience to _hear_ her brother having sex.

"Why don't we sit out in the solarium for a while?" Edward picked up one of the blankets he had left on the couch. Then he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided Bella out of the living room.

He lead her to the wicker love seat and they sat next to each other. Bella was wrapped in her comforter and Edward unfolded the blanket he brought and wrapped it around his bare shoulders. They couldn't hear anything anymore which caused Bella to sit back and let out a heavy sigh.

He looked over at her. "I thought you were okay with them being together."

She looked at him with an expression of disbelief. "Well, yes, but I don't need to _hear_ it."

He chuckled. "They could be more discreet."

She shook her head. "Or they could just not do it."

This time he looked at her with disbelief. "So, they're just supposed to forget about having sex the whole weekend because they're not alone?"

"Um, yeah."

"That's being unreasonable."

Bella sat up in her seat. "How is that unreasonable?"

He turned to face her. "Well, they obviously. . . care a lot about each other. I think it's unfair to not let them. . . show how much they care about each other."

Bella let out a frustrated breath. "So, the rest of us are supposed to lose sleep while they. . . go blind caring about each other?"

"If they were at a hotel, it wouldn't be a big deal."

"No, it wouldn't be because they wouldn't have to see those people again in the morning."

"Bella, what's the big deal? Emmett and Rosalie have sex. I mean, that's hardly a surprise."

She didn't respond.

He continued, "It was bound to happen anyway. I don't see what's wrong with wanting to be with someone you care a lot about."

Bella had half buried her face among the folds of her comforter. It was a moment before she said, "There's nothing wrong with it."

Edward moved closer so that their blanketed shoulders were touching. "Then why does it bother you so much? Is it because it's Emmett?"

She shrugged. "A little, I guess."

"Then?"

She rested her head on his shoulder. It took another moment for her to respond. "I. . . When you make love with someone you care a lot about, it should be private."

Edward waited for her to continue.

"Shouldn't that be the one thing that's sacred in a relationship?" She drew the blanket tighter around herself. "I couldn't be like them. Don't they realize that it's not just between them anymore?" She lowered her voice. "If I'm going to be with someone like that, I want to feel like we're the only two people in the world at that moment."

When Edward didn't say anything, Bella lifted her head to look up at him. She couldn't read his expression. "What?" she asked.

He looked at her for half a minute before he said, "I. . . I should go check if they're. . . done."

She had an alarmed expression on her face. "How are you going to do that?"

"I was just going to go inside and listen."

"Oh." She smiled. "Well, if you go in the guest room, you should be able to hear them pretty clearly."

He chuckled and went through the door in the veranda that lead to the guest room. He was back in no time. "Um, they're still. . ."

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

He nodded.

She narrowed her eyes. "I swear I'm going to make Emmett pay for this."

He gave her a small smile.

They looked at each other unsure of what to do. There was an extra wide wicker chair with a foot stool in the corner of the solarium across from the guest room. He walked over to the love seat where Bella sat and picked up the blanket he had left behind.

He held out his hand. "Come with me."

She hesitated before she took it. "Where are we going?"

"There's a chair that my parents had custom made. They use it when they want to sit in here and watch the lake." He led her to the corner of the solarium. The chair was facing in toward the veranda. Edward moved it and the stool around so that they were facing outward to the lake. He draped the blanket over the back and sat on it.

He held out his hand to her.

She looked at the chair. "There's barely enough room for the both of us."

A corner of his mouth pulled upward. "That's the point."

"Oh," she mumbled. She took his hand and he guided her to his lap. It was awkward with the blanket wrapped around her. Then she belatedly realized that Edward didn't have a shirt on. "You must be cold."

He was about to deny it, but Bella stood up and partially unwrapped the blanket. She sat on his lap again and adjusted it so that it pulled over them both. She was surprised at how easy and comfortable it was for them to sit together.

Bella rested her head in the crook of his neck. "This is nice."

Edward placed a hand on her knee, securing her place on his lap. He wrapped his other arm around her.

Bella tensed at the contact. She couldn't control her reactions to Edward's touch.

"Are you alright?" His voice was low.

She nodded and felt her muscles relax. "How long do you think we have to wait out here?"

He gave a gentle shrug. "I don't know."

Bella concentrated on Edward's steady breathing. She was tired, but couldn't seem to fall asleep. She was reminded of the night she slept with him in his bed. The current of energy had returned, but it didn't feel as urgent or oppressing. It was slightly unbearable, but it was manageable when Edward held her close like this.

Just when she was starting to drift off, there was a loud, distinct thump-thump against the wall. The sound of the thumps began to increase in frequency.

Bella lifted her head and looked up at the wall where the sound was coming from. "Geez. They're going to tear that room apart. I can't believe that they're still- We're never going to sleep-"

She was silenced by Edward's lips on hers. His lips were soft and warm. There was a restrained urgency in the way he moved over her mouth. He withdrew his lips just when Bella thought his kiss would become more intense.

She caught her breath and gave him a surprised look.

He reached up and cupped her face, brushing her lower lip with his thumb.

She stammered, "You-you just kissed me."

His eyes roamed her face. "I did." A corner of his mouth pulled up. "On purpose."

She hesitated before she said, "I know Rosalie and Emmett's. . . activities are pretty hard to put up with, so. . ."

His expression became serious. "Kissing you had nothing to do with them."

She had a confused expression on her face.

He studied her. "Do you think it was a mistake?"

"A mistake?" Her expression fell. "Do you think it was?"

"I asked you first." His hand fell away from her face.

She bit her lip before she said, "No."

"Then. . . you didn't mind?"

She almost laughed. "No."

"Bella." He returned his hand on her face and his thumb brushed her lower lip again. "Are you sure you don't-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Bella returned his kiss. She wasn't as restrained as Edward and was quick to touch the tip of her tongue on his lips. He did not need any more coaxing than that and allowed her to gain access to his mouth. She threaded her fingers through his hair and tilted his head to the side so she could intensify the kiss.

In response, Edward's hand found its place back on her knee. Bella withdrew her tongue from his mouth, only to take his lower lip into hers. She was applying gentle pressure by sucking on it. Edward's hand glided up her thigh, but stopped when it hit the hem of her shirt.

Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, Bella let go of his bottom lip and kissed his upper lip. She withdrew her mouth from his and looked at him.

His breathing was ragged and his eyes fluttered open. He had an expression that was a mixture of shock and amusement. When he recovered his breath, he said, "I guess you don't mind then."

Her cheeks burned and suddenly she felt shy. "I'm sorry. I got carried away."

He shook his head. "No. No. Don't apologize." He kissed her on the apple of her cheek. "I've never been kissed like that before."

She looked at him with surprise. "Really? I thought you and Gianna-"

He chuckled. "No, I meant, I've never had a kiss drive me crazy like this before."

This time Bella touched his face and traced the outline of his jaw. "Me either."

This physical need to be with the other person was so strong and yet so new that they each weren't sure how far they should test their limits. Edward did not want Bella to feel pressured into doing something she did not want. He also remembered what she said about making love and this wasn't the ideal situation. He wanted to make her feel special and if it meant that they had to be alone, he'd wait.

In an attempt to reassure her, Edward's hand on her knee slowly rubbed back and forth on her bare skin. It was a mistake. He was about to tell her that they should stop when a soft moan escaped from Bella's lips.

It was his undoing.

His lips crashed onto hers. With just the one touch, her mouth had become so pliable and he was welcomed with no resistance and met with equal eagerness. He tried picking her up, but ended up standing with her in front of him instead. He slid his hands onto her hips and guided her to the door to the guest room.

He had left it partly open when he had gone in the first time, so there was no fumbling with the door knob. Once they had made it into the bedroom, he somehow managed to shut the door without taking his mouth off of Bella's. The action to shut the door caused him to get pinned against it. Bella used it to her advantage and ran her lips down his neck. While her mouth explored the hollow of his neck, her hands slid down the planes of his chest. When they found their way on his hips, she hesitated for a second before she slid down his pajama pants.

The room was dark and the only sounds came for their uneven breathing. Although there was no light, there was no mistake about the tent in Edward's boxers. Bella looked up at Edward with a shy expression. His eyes were trained on her, waiting and hoping his involuntary response was welcomed.

Bella leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss. He responded with an equally gentle kiss. She wanted to let him know that she had no doubts about what was going to happen, but Bella was unsure about how to convey her feelings. Edward noticed her hesitation and moved to pull his pants back up. Bella caught his arm and Edward stilled his movements. She hesitated before she reached down and brushed her fingertips against him which caused Edward to let out a quick gasp and then he gave her a rough kiss. Encouraged, Bella's touch became even more bold, ending with her circling her thumb on the tip of his shaft.

Edward groaned and pushed off the door and quite determinedly picked up Bella and pinned her against the door. Bella gasped at the impact of his body against hers and being pinned against the door. He tried to copy her actions by dragging his lips down her neck, but when her shirt impeded his progress, he pulled it off of her in one quick motion. Then it became a frenzy for Edward to cover his lips over every part that had been obscured by the shirt.

She bit her lower lip to stop the sounds that wanted to escape. Edward's mouth was wet, warm, and soft. When he looked at her to see her biting on her lip, a curious expression occupied his face. Edward never took his eyes off of her when he lowered his mouth onto her breast and swiped his tongue on her nipple.

Bella threw her head back and let out a whimper. Edward was thorough in his exploration of her breasts. He traced every curve with his lips, and then he would deliberately lower his mouth in an attempt to illicit more than just a soft whine from her. Then she pulled his face to hers and launched her mouth onto his, seeking out the tongue that was driving her over the edge. She hooked a leg over his hip and tangled her fingers in his hair.

Edward would not be deterred. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and lightly brushed his thumb over her nipple while imitating the same movement with his tongue in her mouth. Bella could no longer hold back and she let out a throaty moan on Edward's lips.

Edward ground himself onto her, grabbing the knee that was over his hip to hold her in place. The shock of feeling how aroused he was against her stunned Bella for a second, but when he moved himself on her again, Bella steadied him by clutching his hip and adjusted his movements so he no longer caused friction on her inner thigh.

He let out a guttural sound at the slight adjustment, realizing that only thin pieces of cotton prevented him from being inside of her. Bella's thoughts were drawn to the same conclusion and she tugged down on his boxers. Edward did not need any more encouragement than that. He gently put Bella down and slid his boxers off.

At the sight of Edward's naked body, Bella fumbled to get her underwear off, but Edward stopped her. She let out a frustrated noise and Edward muffled the noise with his lips. She felt a smile on his lips while he kissed her and slipped her underwear off in an agonizingly slow pace. She tried wiggling out of her underwear, but Edward would not go faster. He couldn't help letting a small laugh escape.

She talked against his lips. "What's so funny?"

He kissed her again. "I didn't know you could be so impatient."

She pressed herself against him. "Why are you torturing me?"

He breathed a kiss on her neck. "I want us to enjoy every minute of this." His hand glided down her stomach.

"But I want-" She let out a surprised gasp when she felt one of Edward's fingers gently press the sensitive spot between her legs. Then he began to tease that area which caused the tension pooling between her legs to become really unbearable. She felt like her knees would give out at any second.

Her breathing was shallow which caused her to sound out of breath when she said, "I want you inside me." Then she crushed her mouth onto Edward's.

Edward reached down and cupped her bottom, then lifted her up. Bella wrapped her legs around his waist, crossing her ankles behind his back.

They barely made their way to the bed and tumbled on to it. Her legs were wrapped around him so tight, it drove Edward into a passionate frenzy. He needed to know if she would hold on to him as tightly if he was inside of her.

He shifted his weight, reaching down, intending to continue what he had started doing to Bella, but she caught his hand.

"No."

"But, I want to-"

She shook her head and then shifted her body, so she was under him again. Bella could feel that Edward was positioned right outside of her. "Please."

"But, Bella I want you to-" There was a deep grunt from his chest. Bella rubbed herself against him. "I can't believe how wet you are."

He lowered his mouth on to hers and their tongues joined. Bella had shifted enough so that the tip of him was already inside of her. They both groaned against each other's mouths. Then Bella bent one of her knees up, wanting more of him. Edward responded by gliding the rest of himself inside of her.

He moved in and out of her with slow and deliberate thrusts. Their mouths had been joined at this point, muffling Bella's moans. Edward pulled his mouth away and scattered kisses down her neck, but his true motive was to listen to Bella's ragged breathing and moaning.

She fisted her hand in his hair and the other hand slid down on his hip, attempting to move him faster. Bella enjoyed how she could feel the length of him inside of her, but the slow pace was driving her crazy.

In a rough voice, Edward said, "Jesus, Bella."

She barely managed to say, "What?"

He cupped her breast which caused Bella to whimper. "I never thought I'd get the chance to feel you like this."

"Like wha-" It was at that moment that Edward's thrusts quickened. With each thrust, more tension was building inside of her and it was getting more difficult stifling the sounds coming out of her mouth.

Edward's tongue swiped at one of her nipples. "Am I really making you feel this way?"

One of Bella's hands reached back and gripped the headboard. In between ragged breathes she moaned, "Yes."

Edward's breath was becoming ragged as well. "This is a problem." He reached under her, pressing their bodies closer together. Bella loved the feeling of Edward's body pressed so firm against hers, and Edward used the opportunity to get deeper inside of her.

She could barely manage to say, "Why?"

"Because. . . I'm going to want to be inside you all the time now." He had wanted to be gentle with her, but the way she sounded and moved her hips to encourage him caused Edward to practically pound against her.

When he realized how rough he was being, he hesitated for a second. "Bella-"

"Don't stop." She wrapped her legs around him.

He gave her another rough kiss and continued driving into her. Soon, the escalating pressure was becoming unbearable and he was desperately trying to keep from letting himself go. He didn't want this to end. He wanted to be inside of Bella longer.

He thought about the low white blood cell count from his last lab results in order to distract himself.

Bella gripped the head board with both hands now. It had never been like this before. It was usually over before she even got worked up. Sex had been sometimes awkward, sometimes sweet, and most times brief. This was sensual, intense, and she never imagined that it could go on like this.

She behaved in such a brazen manner. Edward evoked feelings in her that she never thought she was capable of. She wanted to touch and taste him, but she also wanted him to do the same things to her. The minute their mouths met, it felt like her body was set on fire. Common sense told her not to play with fire, but if she was going to get burned, she was going to do it thoroughly.

The pleasure was relentless. At first, Edward's gentle, unhurried movement inside her made her feel like he was savoring her. Bella had never felt so wanted, so beautiful before. As the pleasure was building, so did Bella's need for Edward. She didn't understand how she could want him anymore when they were already joined, but Bella couldn't seem to get enough of Edward and it certainly seemed like he couldn't get enough of her.

Her greed for him caused her to embolden herself and move and say things to Edward that she would've never have said before to incite him to drive into her with not so much reverence. Words like 'harder', 'faster', and 'more' fell from her mouth, while at the same time she moved her hips to feel Edward plunge deeper inside of her. Her behavior was shocking, but she was enjoying Edward too much to care about her wanton attitude.

Once Edward got the hint, Bella felt overwhelmed by the sensation welling up inside her. What she felt before was exquisite. Their frenzied movements made her toes curl and she grabbed hold of whatever she could find to brace herself or else she would shatter. Then suddenly she felt herself start to fall away.

She loosened her grip on the head board and held on instead to his hips. "Oh, god, Edward."

He felt Bella tighten around him. "Christ, Bella." She was matching the rough movement of his hips.

Bella's breaths were shallow, trying to keep in time with Edward. Another part of her was falling away and she felt her muscles convulse involuntarily. Suddenly, Edward felt different inside her. She wouldn't have believed it was possible for him to be even harder than he already was, but this was something else. At that moment, he lifted her hips up just a little and then she felt his enlarged tip plunge deeper inside of her.

This new, delightful pressure caused her to raise herself even more and soon Bella no longer had any part of herself to hold on to. Her muscles convulsed wildly around Edward and she didn't realize she was making so much noise until Edward covered his mouth over hers. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and she eagerly took it into her own, lapping and sucking on it. This pushed Edward over and he withdrew his mouth from hers and threw his head back, letting out a groan that settled in his chest.

After a moment, Edward's head fell forward and he gave Bella a deep, slow kiss, their hips still rocking. When he pulled his mouth away, they were both out of breath and Edward tried to roll off Bella. Instead, she entwined her legs with his, so he couldn't leave her. Edward shifted part of his weight onto his side, but remained inside her.

Edward began to drag his lips on Bella's neck. In a low voice, he said, "That was unexpected."

Bella let out a short breath at the feathery sensations he was creating on her skin. "It's never been like this for me before."

Edward lifted his head and looked at Bella.

"What?" She looked back at him, trying to read his expression, but she could not.

He shifted off of her and reached for the lamp on the night stand and clicked it on.

Bella's eyes squinted against the light. "Why did you turn on the light?"

Edward settled in his place between Bella's thighs. "It's never been like this for me either."

"Really? I thought you and Gi-"

Edward silenced her lips with his. After a moment, he said, "Nothing compares to this." Then he slid back inside her.

Bella reached up and traced her fingers all the way down to his backside. She gave it a gentle squeeze which caused a butterfly sensation inside of her.

She managed to breathe and say, "But why's the light on?"

He breathed a kiss on her collarbone. "This time I want to see everything."

Her eyebrows shot up when she felt him moving inside her. "Edward?"

He cupped her breast in his hand. "You didn't want to sleep, did you?" He breathed a kiss on her nipple.

Her voice was a low moan. "No."

Now that they weren't covered in darkness, they moved purposefully, trying to memorize which touch would illicit what reaction. Their lovemaking moved at a measured pace. Neither of them was in any hurry for the other to leave.

However, there would be something that would spur on the other and their lovemaking took on a fervor of urgency. For Edward, it was the way Bella's mouth would part when her breathing became ragged. Another time, Bella lost herself when she saw Edward biting his lower lip, trying to hold on before she shattered into pieces.

When they finally fell asleep, they lay on their sides. Edward was behind Bella with his arm draped across her body, holding her hand.

* * *

Bella turned over. She was having vivid dreams about Edward. It was the wall thumping, obnoxious sex kind of dream. In her dream, Edward was kissing a trail down her navel and then he started placing gentle kisses on her inner thighs. She woke up with a start.

Her dreams with Edward had never been that graphic before.

She felt a little guilty for having such naughty thoughts, but it was quickly dispelled and she was immediately possessed by desire. She felt it pool in the pit of her stomach like molten lava. She needed release.

Bella reached for Edward, but the bed was empty. She sat up and saw that she was alone.

The desire that was churning inside her quickly dissipated and was replaced with fear. She started to doubt what happened with Edward last night. Then she checked herself under the sheets. She was still naked and there was an unmistakable soreness in her thighs and a scent on her skin that left no doubt about what happened.

She shook her head. She remembered his touch, the look in his eyes, and how he tasted. Last night really happened. She and Edward had made love.

She threw her shoulders back. Feeling upset that he left her hot and bothered, Bella hopped off the bed to go confront Edward.

She had her hand gripped on the door handle when she heard voices in the kitchen. She also heard dishes being moved around. It sounded like everyone was awake and getting ready to have breakfast. Bella cursed to herself.

She couldn't very well march out there naked, demanding why Edward wasn't in her bed this morning ready to satisfy her needs.

Bella was frustrated, but mostly hurt that he left her before waking her up. After all that happened last night, he could've at least told her he was leaving.

But why did he have to leave?

She marched to the guest bathroom. Once she got in the shower and soaked up the warm water, Bella realized that it would look really odd for him to emerge from her bedroom this morning especially when things were still a little unclear between them.

There was no doubt that they were attracted to each other and being naked together was close to a divine experience as she could get, but they hadn't actually talked about their feelings. Suddenly, she was gripped with anxiety. What if this was a purely physical thing? That would explain why she was feeling so bothered when she woke up alone.

Last night, she and Edward were so open about being attracted to the other person and about sex. But could it ever be more than just a physical attraction? She hoped they could still keep being open and talk about how they felt. She was more than willing to give her body to Edward and her heart already belonged to him, but did he feel the same way? She knew he had no problem with the physical aspect, but what were his feelings toward her?

Bella quickly finished showering and got dressed. She checked herself in the mirror and realized that she wanted to look nicer. She found a compact hair dryer in one of the drawers of the vanity table in the bathroom. She looked in her toiletry bag and pulled out her lip gloss and brush. She would be a little late joining the others for breakfast, but if she was going to try and get Edward to talk about his feelings, Bella decided that there might be some advantage if she looked nice trying.

* * *

Alice flipped the last of the pancakes from the pan onto a serving plate. She had bacon and eggs warming in the oven. The coffee was made and she just had to take the juice out of the fridge.

Jasper stood behind her and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Breakfast smells delicious."

She smiled. "Thank you. Since Bella made dinner last night, I figure I should pull my weight around here and make breakfast today."

Jasper took a mug out of the cupboard and then poured himself some coffee. "I'm surprised you're up early enough to make breakfast. You didn't sleep well last night."

Alice lifted one shoulder up and then down. She took the eggs and bacon out of the oven. "I'm a little tired, but I just couldn't sleep anymore. I'm still adjusting to the time difference."

Jasper gave her a sympathetic look.

She gave him a reassuring smile and said, "Don't worry about me." She took syrup and butter out of the fridge. "Besides, I think there are more interesting things to be concerned about."

Jasper sat on a bar stool in front of the breakfast bar. "Like what?"

A little smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Since I was up early, I noticed that Edward wasn't in his room this morning."

Jasper's eye brows shot up. "He could've been out for a morning walk."

Alice raised an eyebrow at him. "Would he have gone on a morning walk with no shirt and just his pajama bottoms?"

Jasper leaned over the table. "He could've fallen asleep on the couch."

"Maybe." The grin spread across her face. "But I saw him come out of Bella's room."

Jasper sat up in his seat. "Alice Mary Cullen, are you spying on your brother?"

She let out a short breath as if she was offended. "I was doing nothing of the sort. I was on my way downstairs when I heard a noise. I hid in the hallway and saw Edward walking upstairs."

"How do you know he came from Bella's room?"

"I think the noise I heard was him shutting her door."

He shook his head. "Alice."

"What?" she asked in that all too familiar innocent tone.

"Stay out of it."

She looked at him with a surprised expression. "I wasn't going to do anything."

He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I'm sure they're doing fine on their own."

Alice had her index finger on her chin like she was contemplating something.

Jasper's brow wrinkled. "What now?"

Her eyes widened in recognition and she held her finger. "I bet that's why there were strange noises coming from Bella's room last night."

Jasper picked up a piece of bacon. "What are you talking about?"

"Last night, I came down to the kitchen for some water. I just thought that maybe she was moving around in her room, but maybe she was with Edward." She had this silly grin on her face. "Do you think they're-"

"Alice, it's none of our business."

"Jasper, he's my brother. She's my best friend. I think it's fair for me to speculate even a little about what the nature of their relationship is."

He reached for another slice of bacon, but Alice gave him a light smack on his hand. He gave her a soft frown and said, "Whatever the nature of their relationship is, they'll tell us when they're ready. In the meantime, just leave them alone." He picked up his mug and stood up.

Alice let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine."

Jasper gave her a warning look. "I'm serious, Alice."

She held up her hands as a gesture of surrender.

Jasper helped Alice put breakfast on the table. Once they were done, he asked, "Should we have waited to put breakfast on? We don't know when everyone will be up."

Alice shook her head. "People will be coming down shortly." She went to the refrigerator to get the juice and not a minute later, Emmett showed up with Rosalie in tow.

Emmett rubbed his hands together. "It smells great in here. Is that bacon?" He went straight to the table.

Rosalie went to the cupboard to take out some mugs for coffee. She greeted everyone. "Good morning."

Alice said, "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Rosalie had a mild smirk on her face. "It was gorgeous."

Alice was taking out glasses for juice and at Rosalie's description she paused and gave her a curious look.

Rosalie sipped her coffee. Then she looked at Alice. "Being out her in the wilderness just. . . leaves you breathless."

Emmett choked on his pancakes.

Alice raised an eyebrow at Rosalie. "Really? I've never heard the area described in that way before."

Rosalie walked to the table with two mugs of coffee. She set one of the mugs in front of Emmett who was sitting at the head of the table. She took the seat on his left. "But it is. I especially love the trees." She gave Emmett a knowing smile. "They're so tall which makes them seem to go for miles. And did you notice how thick they are?" She placed her hand on his knee under the table. "I'm sure the trees have lived through some pretty exciting times, but I think that just adds to its character."

Emmett swallowed hard. "My favorite are the mountains."

Rosalie arched an eyebrow at him.

His eyes grazed her breasts and then he looked back up at her. "The snowy peaks are tantalizing in the winter."

Jasper focused his attention on the local paper. He had tuned out the conversation when Rosalie made the comment about being breathless. He knew his sister too well. Alice just shook her head at both of them and started eating her breakfast. Edward had heard the whole exchange and cleared his throat.

Edward took the seat on Emmett's right. "Well, the next time you guys decide to. . . share your enthusiasm about nature, try to keep it down at a reasonable volume."

Emmett's eyes widened.

Rosalie grinned. "Sorry, Edward. I hope our. . . appreciation for the great outdoors didn't keep you awake."

"I would've gone back to sleep eventually." He gave Emmett a pointed look. "But, Bella had a hard time ignoring all the. . . unrestrained admiration for nature."

Emmett sat back, causing his chair to scrape on the floor. "She heard. . ."

Edward nodded, and then sipped his juice.

Emmett ran his fingers through his hair and Rosalie bit her lower lip. The self-satisfied expression gone from her face.

Edward served himself some pancakes. "You guys must've had some really. . . heated conversations. I mean, the furniture was moving."

Emmett's fork made a loud clink on his plate.

"Look, we can't help that we have a very healthy. . . enjoyment for nature." Rosalie's eyes narrowed at Edward. "Unlike some people who would love to. . . admire nature with someone else."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Emmett looked at Edward and then at Rosalie.

Rosalie blinked several times. "Uh. . . nothing."

Emmett looked at Edward.

Edward narrowed his eyes at Rosalie who looked away. After a moment, he said, "Nothing, Emmett."

Alice said, "Emmett, would you like more bacon?"

Emmett was momentarily distracted, but it wasn't enough to throw him off the trail. He shook his head and asked, "Edward, what's going on?"

Edward looked at Emmett. "Nothing's going on."

Emmett narrowed his eyes at Edward. "Were you with Bella last night when. . ."

Edward didn't look away. "Yes."

Emmett pushed his plate away.

Jasper had long put aside the paper. "You guys maybe we should-"

"What happened?" Emmett asked.

Edward contemplated what he was going to say next. "I came downstairs when you and Rosalie. . . I was going to the kitchen. When I got downstairs, Bella was out in the living room wrapped in her blanket. She was sitting on the couch." He hesitated before he said, "She looked upset."

Emmett was looking down at the empty spot on the table where his plate had just been. "So, she heard everything?"

"Yes."

The silence at the table was tense and seemed to last for hours, but it was only seconds before Emmett said, "I'll go talk to her."

He made a motion to stand, but Edward held up his hand. "It's alright. She's fine now."

He sat back down, but he had a doubtful look on her face. "She's not upset anymore?"

"I don't think so." He leaned forward in his seat. "She's a grown woman, Emmett. She knows about. . . what happens between a man and a woman."

His eyes widened. "You're talking about Bella."

Edward held up his hands. "Yes, Bella. She's not a little girl anymore."

Emmett thought for a moment before he said, "I should still try to-"

Before he got to finish what he was saying, Bella entered the kitchen. Rosalie stood up and moved one seat over away from Emmett. She gave Rosalie a confused expression before she took the vacated seat. Emmett was now in between her and Edward.

And they were all openly staring at Bella.

She actually hadn't looked Edward in the eyes when she took her seat, but she could feel his eyes boring into her more so than the others. Bella shifted in her seat and said, "Did I miss something?"

Jasper cleared his throat and returned his attention back to the paper. Alice poured Bella a glass of juice and passed it to her. Rosalie sipped her coffee. Bella helped herself to some pancakes, using that as an excuse not to look at Edward.

After a moment, Emmett said, "Bella, I'm sorry."

Her brow pinched. "Why?" She looked around the table. "Damn it, Emmett. Did you eat all the bacon?"

"What? Yes. But that's not why I'm apologizing."

"You should be apologizing. I picked out applewood smoked bacon because I was really looking forward to having some this weekend." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Alice said, "There's still more. I can make it." She got up without waiting to hear Bella's response.

"Do you need any help?" Rosalie asked.

"I want you stay, Rosalie," Emmett said.

She looked at Emmett and nodded.

Jasper said, "I'll go help Alice." He left the table.

Edward stood up.

Emmett said, "No, I want you to stay too, Edward."

This time Bella finally looked at Edward and she saw that his expression was composed, but his eyes had an intense look.

She looked back at her brother. "What the hell is going on?"

Emmett held up his hands. "I just wanted to apologize for last night."

Rosalie's mouth fell partly open.

Bella saw that Emmett had a very sincere expression. Then she looked at Edward whose expression had softened.

She looked at Rosalie who seemed tense, but was keeping a calm expression on her face.

Bella shifted in her seat. "What's there to apologize for?"

Emmett turned to face her. "Edward said that you were upset."

She couldn't help narrowing her eyes at Edward. He was surprised by the action.

Emmett held up a hand. "Don't get mad at him. I asked him to tell me what happened."

At this, Bella tried to keep her face calm. She snuck a look at Edward to try and gauge just how much he told Emmett. Judging from his composed expression, Bella realized he hadn't told Emmett everything that happened. She cleared her throat. "But why are you apologizing?"

"I didn't mean to upset you."

She shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"But, Bella-"

"Emmett." She held up her fork at him. "Yeah, it was kind of weird last night hearing you and Rosalie. . . like that and I'd bleach my ears if I could, but. . ." She put her fork down. "You care about Rosalie, right?"

Emmett sat up straighter. "Yes, of course I do."

She turned to look at Rosalie. "And you care about my brother, right?"

Rosalie nodded. "Absolutely."

She snuck a look at Edward before she looked back at Emmett. "So if you both care about each other so much, then. . . I guess it isn't wrong that you'd want to. . . show how much you care." She was holding her fork and turning it over and over between her fingers. She knew Edward was looking at her, but she didn't have the courage to look back at him.

"Bella?"

She looked up at the sound of Emmett's voice.

Emmett put his hand over Bella's and she stopped turning the fork between her fingers. "Did you know you're the best sister in the world?"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He smiled. "I meant, in the universe."

She returned her smile, but then her face became serious. "There's just one thing."

Emmett withdrew his hand and waited for her to continue.

"I forgot to bring my earplugs this weekend, so I'd appreciate it if you guys kept it down a little. I think I had various wild animals scratching at my door last night, trying to figure out what all the noise was about."

The tops of Emmett's ears were red.

Rosalie snickered and then said, "Good one."

Edward let out a small laugh.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "Why did you tell him?"

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "He asked if I was with you last night, and I told him I was."

Bella's mouth dropped.

Emmett said, "Hey, don't get mad at Edward. He was being a good friend."

Her head snapped toward Emmett. "What?"

Emmett continued, "I think that was nice of him to stay up with you and talk to you while we. . . while it was hard for you to get back to sleep."

Bella's mouth was partly open. She looked at Emmett and then at Edward and then back and forth one more time.

She tilted her to the side and looked at Edward. "Yeah. Edward was being a really good friend last night."

Edward's eyes widened.

Bella continued, "We had a very interesting. . . discussion about sex."

Emmett looked at Edward who shifted in his seat.

Rosalie turned to face Bella. "Really?"

Bella turned to face Rosalie. "Yeah. I always thought that sex was something that people did because it was just part of being in a relationship."

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her.

"Kind of like when you have a car, you have to make sure you take care of it. Like getting tune-ups after a certain number of miles. It's just something you have to do."

Rosalie chuckled. "I appreciate the car analogy."

Bella smiled. "But Edward helped me understand that sex could be so much more than just something you have to do."

They both looked at Edward who had his head in his hand. Emmett's brow was wrinkled, trying to process what Bella was saying.

Rosalie said, "So, what did Edward teach you about sex?"

Bella had a small smile on her face. "Well, I never thought that people had sex because they really want to. I mean, if you're going to have sex with someone, you should want to, but there's a difference between having to and wanting to."

Bella picked up her fork again and started turning it between her fingers. "The whole concept of wanting to have sex with someone so much because you _want_ that person never occurred to me until last night."

Rosalie stifled a laugh and instead said, "Wow. It sounds like you and Edward had a very. . . in depth conversation."

"Well, it was because of you and Emmett."

Rosalie chuckled.

"I mean, no offense, but I thought you were exaggerating."

This time Rosalie let out a hearty laugh. Edward sank deeper into his seat and Emmett's mouth dropped.

Bella continued, "But, Edward helped me understand that women don't exaggerate if they really. . . enjoy what they're feeling."

Rosalie had an amused expression on her face. "How did Edward help you-"

Emmett turned to Edward. "What the hell, Edward? Why are you talking about sex with my sister?"

He sat up in his seat reluctantly. "It was kind of unavoidable last night."

Bella narrowed her eyes at Emmett. "There's nothing wrong with us talking about sex."

Emmett cringed. "That's just wrong."

Bella tried to hide the hurt in her voice. "Why is that wrong?"

"Because you guys grew up together. You're practically like brother and sister."

Rosalie said, "They are not brother and sister, Emmett."

"No, but they might as well be." His brow was wrinkled and he looked at Bella. "You know, if we were still in high school, I'd beat the crap out of Edward for talking to you this way."

"We're adults now," Bella said. "Besides who else am I going to talk to about stuff like this?"

"How about Alice?"

"I already do."

"Then why do you need-"

"It's not the same."

"Why not?"

"Do you really want to know what girls talk about when we talk about sex?"

"No! But what difference does it make?"

"Why does it bother you that I talk about sex with Edward?"

"Because he's my best friend!"

"Emmett. Bella."

They both looked up at Edward.

He hesitated before he said, "I'm sorry, Emmett."

Bella's mouth dropped. Then she said, "Why are you apologizing to him?"

Emmett answered before Edward could. "Bella, let it go."

"Fine. I won't talk about sex with Edward." She narrowed her eyes at Edward. "Ever again." She stood up. "Maybe I'll find someone else who would be more interested in talking about sex with me." Bella didn't even look at Edward before she left the room.

Emmett held his hands up. "Why is she mad now?"

Rosalie let out an exasperated sigh. "You're such an idiot, Emmett."

"Me? What did I do?"

She rolled her eyes and then looked at Edward. "And you," Rosalie narrowed her eyes at him, conveying her disapproval.

Edward recoiled back in his seat.

Alice returned with Jasper behind her. "What's going on? Where's Bella?"

Rosalie stood up. "She's upset. I think she went to her room."

"What? Why?" Alice asked with concern.

Rosalie fisted her hands and put them on her hips. "Her brother and his best friend are total idiots." Her voice had gotten louder. "She deserves way better than either of you." She dropped her arms, but her hands were still balled up at her side. "I'm going to go check on Bella." Rosalie glared at them both before she left the room.

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"I don't know." Emmett shrugged and then proceeded to retell the entire conversation between him, Bella, and Edward. When he was done, Emmett was surprised to see Alice glaring at him.

"What now?" he asked.

"Emmett, sometimes you just. . ." She threw her head back and let out out a frustrated sigh. Then she looked at Edward. "And you!"

Edward looked at her. "Alice, I-"

"I can't believe you. Emmett is Emmett, but I expected you to be at least. . ." She spit out the word, "better."

Alice set the plate she was holding down with a loud thud on the table. "Enjoy your bacon." She left the room to join Rosalie and Bella.

Emmett stood up. "What the hell is up with these women? Why are they acting so crazy? And pissed?"

"Geez, Emmett."

He turned to look at Jasper. "What?"

Jasper shook his head. "You're going to have to accept that Bella's a woman."

"I know she is."

He held up his hands. "No, really. Bella is a woman."

Emmett looked at Jasper.

He continued, "She's a woman who has needs."

"Jasper." Emmett groaned.

"One day, she's going to want to be with someone."

"That's fine."

"Emmett, she's going to want to have sex."

Emmett cringed. "Why are you talking about my sister that way?"

Jasper held up his hands again. "What I meant was, she's going to find someone that she cares about very much and she's going to want to. . . show him how much she cares. Are you going to be okay with that?"

It took Emmett a moment to answer. "I guess so."

"Are you sure?"

He shrugged. "I mean, I'm going to have to be, right?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "But thankfully that's not going to be for a while."

Jasper looked at Edward.

Emmett caught the look between them. "What?" He looked at Edward. "Do you know something?"

Edward stood up and held up his hands. "No, but. . ."

"What?"

Edward dropped his hands to his sides. He looked at Emmett and said, "I want to be the one she cares about."

He gave him a confused expression. "She already does."

Edward took in a deep breath. "I know, but. . . I want to _be_ the only one, Emmett."

"Edward." Emmett looked at his friend with different eyes. "What are you saying?"

He hesitated before he said, "I. . . I'm in love with Bella."

"I know you love her," Emmett said.

"What?" Edward looked at him in surprise.

"I know you love her and care about her. You look after her like she was a sister."

Edward shook his head. "No, Emmett. I mean, I do care about her and love her, but I don't see her like a sister." His jaw tensed before he said, "I'm _in_ love with her."

He looked at Edward one more time before he collapsed in his seat. "Does she know?"

Edward sat back down. "No, but I'm hoping she'll give me a chance."

Emmett closed his eyes and said, "Man, I'm an idiot."

Jasper took the seat that Bella had been sitting in.

After a moment, Emmett said, "So, how long do you think they're going to be in there?"

Jasper shrugged. "Who knows?"

Emmett picked up a piece of bacon and started nibbling it.

"Wait, that's it?" Edward asked.

"What?" Emmett crammed the rest of it in his mouth.

"That's all you're going to say?"

He picked up another piece. "What else do you want me to say?"

"I thought you'd be pissed. I thought you'd tell me to go to hell."

He inspected the piece of bacon in his hand. "Why would I do that?"

Edward gave him a look of disbelief. "You did that with every guy who tried to get near Bella in high school."

"Well, okay. If we were still in high school, I'd probably react the same way, but we're not." He reached for another piece of bacon. "And, I don't know. I'd like to think that I'm a little smarter now than I was in high school."

He stuffed the bacon in his mouth and picked up his mug and took a sip. He cringed at the lukewarm temperature. "I've seen the guys Bella's dated over the years. There weren't that many, but. . . she deserved better." He wiped his hand on a napkin. "And if it has to be someone, it should be you."

Edward stared at Emmett with his mouth partly open. He recovered himself and said, "So, you're actually okay with me being in love with your sister?"

He shrugged. "I'm dealing with it." Then he smiled. "But who's to say she'll even give you a chance?" He laughed at his own joke.

Jasper and Edward didn't.

After a second, Emmett sobered up and said, "But I hope she does."

After a moment, Edward couldn't help smiling.

Jasper, who had been silent the whole time, said, "Finally."

Emmett said, "What?"

"Edward's finally admitted his feelings, but it's to the wrong Swan."

Emmett chuckled.

Edward made a move to Bella's room.

Jasper caught him by the elbow. "Give them some time. I have a feeling if you went in now, they wouldn't be too friendly."

Edward nodded and walked over to the window looking out onto the lake.

Edward was suddenly overcome with anxiety. A great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. A big part of why he didn't tell Bella how he felt all those years ago was because he was afraid of ruining his friendship with Emmett. At least that's what he kept telling himself. It had become a built in excuse not to share his feelings for Bella and eventually the excuse had become the reason to bury his feelings.

Lately that reason seemed so trivial. Gaining Emmett's acceptance unsettled the resolve he made so many years ago to stay away from Bella.

Now, it seems that things wouldn't have been as bad as he thought. They definitely would've gone through a rough patch, but Edward suspected that they would've been able to ride it out. Why hadn't he taken a chance sooner? What else had held him back?

Not only was he overcome with anxiety, but he also felt remorse creeping in. He couldn't explain why, but he realized for the first time that leaving Bella all those years ago probably wasn't a good idea after all.

* * *

Bella paced back and forth in her room. She felt like a caged animal. If she was back at home, she would've locked herself in the garage and beat the crap out of the punching bag.

She opened the curtains to let in more light and was studying the outline of the trees near the lake. She was considering how hard it really would be to rip out one of the those trees, when there was knock on the door. Bella's eyes narrowed at the sound.

"Bella? It's Rosalie."

She felt her muscles relax and she said, "Come in."

Rosalie let herself in and then she looked at Bella. "Are you alright?"

Bella was standing by the French doors that lead out to the lake. She turned around when Rosalie walked in. She shrugged.

Rosalie took a few steps into the room. "You know, I don't know how you grew up with those two."

Bella chuckled. "It definitely wasn't easy."

Rosalie moved to the bed and sat down. "On their own, they're not too bad. But together. . ." She shook her head. "It's like the moronic brotherhood united."

Bella laughed.

There was another knock on the door. "It's me, Alice."

Bella let out a sigh. "Come in."

Alice also let herself in and shut the door behind her. "What is it with those two? Whenever they're together, their IQ's plummet."

"Look, it's not a big deal." Bella sat on the bed with Rosalie.

Alice sat on the other side of Bella. "I forgot how annoying they were."

"I just want to. . . punch something." Bella fisted her hands beside her.

"Well, I can distract Emmett, and then we can string him up," Rosalie said.

Alice and Bella laughed. Then Bella said, "I think I just need to clear my head. I'm going to take a walk."

Alice and Rosalie stood up. Alice said, "We'll come with you."

Bella stood at the French doors. "You guys don't have to do that."

Rosalie had a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips. "Do you think Emmett would approve of you walking by yourself in the wilderness?"

Bella rolled her eyes, but didn't argue with them. They went out through the French doors and descended the small porch connected to Bella's room. They walked down a beaten path.

Bella said, "Your mom did a really nice job renovating the guest room."

Rosalie said, "It really is a nice place to get away for a while."

They walked in companionable silence through a thick coppice of small trees before the lake came into view. It was a relatively short walk and Bella welcomed the change of scenery. She picked up several flat rocks and then walked to the edge of the lake. She looked down at the palm of her hand and picked a medium sized black rock. Bella held it out and skid it across the water.

Alice tried skidding a couple of rocks, but instead became more interested in the various shades of the stones and began grouping them accordingly. Rosalie stood as close to the edge of the water and watched as the sun light began to dance on the surface.

After a moment, Alice said, "Bella, I'm sorry my brother was a jerk."

She had her hand held up, poised with a rock, but she held back. Bella turned to look at Alice. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Alice was crouched down on the ground. "But it always seems like he's on Emmett's side."

Bella returned her attention to skidding rocks. "What else is new?"

Alice straightened up. "We're not kids anymore."

Rosalie said, "I could talk to Emmett."

Bella let out a small laugh. "Don't bother. He'll always see me as his kid sister who needs protecting from everything. I just thought Edward. . ."

Alice took a step toward her. "What?"

Bella stopped and turned around to face them. "I thought for the first time that maybe he'd take my side." She dropped the stones on the ground and walked away from the shore.

Alice and Rosalie followed Bella back toward the cabin.

Alice ventured to speak. "So, has anything happened between you and Edward while you were staying at my parents' house?"

Bella slipped a hand in one of her pockets. "No."

Alice raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't sound very sure of yourself."

They cleared the thicket of small trees and they could see the cabin. Instead of returning directly to it, Alice steered them in the direction of the clearing beside it.

Bella shrugged. "Well, nothing did happen, but I thought. . . I'm such an idiot."

Alice and Rosalie waited for her to continue.

She continued, "We had been getting along so well and at times I thought Edward. . . I felt something more." She let out an exasperated sigh. "And then last night-" Bella stopped in her tracks.

Alice and Rosalie stopped and turned to look at Bella.

They were just a few feet away from the house. Bella shifted in her spot. "Maybe we should get back. I'm sure the guys are wondering what-"

Rosalie said, "So, last night, when you said that you and Edward talked about sex, did you guys. . ."

Bella opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Alice and Rosalie both took a step toward Bella.

"Um. . ." Bella felt her cheeks burn.

They talked at the same time.

"Who started it?"

"How far did you guys get?"

Bella rolled her eyes and started walking back to the cabin. "I can't talk about this."

Alice trotted to catch up with Bella and then stood in front of her. "You can't just drop that bomb on us and leave. Tell us what happened."

Rosalie caught up with them. "I want to hear what happened, too."

After a moment, Bella took a deep breath and told them everything. She told them that Edward initiated it by kissing her. After that, things happened so fast. Bella said she'd never experienced anything like it. She had totally forgotten herself and all she could focus on was Edward.

Alice's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. "Oh my-" She placed her hands on Bella's shoulders. "So this is for real? You and Edward -"

Bella held up her hands. "But, the way he was at breakfast. . ."

Rosalie shook her head and let out a few choice expletives directed at Edward.

Alice said, "I can't believe Edward took Emmett's side like that."

After a moment, Bella said, "The thing is. . . it's never been like that for me before."

Alice placed her hand on Bella's arm. "What do you mean? Isn't Edward your first?"

Bella looked away. "No."

Alice's mouth dropped and then she said, "What?"

Rosalie looked at Alice and then looked at Bella. "Wait, so you -"

Bella took a deep breath. "It was someone else."

Alice's hands were still on Bella's shoulders and her grip tightened. "Who? When?"

Bella took Alice's hands off her shoulder and rubbed the soreness her grip left. "It was freshman year at Washington." She hesitated before she said, "It was Jared."

"Jared!" Alice practically shrieked.

Bella winced. "Yeah. He was really nice."

"Nice? I guess if you like. . . nice guys." Alice had a disdainful look on her face when she said the word nice.

Rosalie said, "So, you've had sex with a nice guy. Great. Now, can we talk about you and Edward."

Bella rolled her eyes. "What's there to talk about? It's probably not going to happen again."

Rosalie asked, "Why not?"

Bella said, "Well, you heard him this morning. He's probably going to stay away from me now since Emmett's made it really clear that he doesn't like us even talking about sex. Can you imagine what Emmett will be like if he found out if we actually did it? I'm sure Edward doesn't want to upset him."

Alice said, "Edward is an idiot if he choses your brother over you."

Rosalie said, "Emmett will regret interfering."

Bella held up her hands. "Wait, you guys. Please don't say anything. You're making a big deal out of this."

They were about to disagree with Bella when she held up one hand to silence them.

Then she said, "Besides, I don't know if I should have sex with Edward again."

Rosalie and Alice exchanged surprised looks.

Alice asked, "It couldn't have been that bad."

Bella said, "No, it was. . . how do you describe. . ." She let out a frustrated sigh.

Alice smiled.

Rosalie said, "When you said your first time was with a nice guy, did you also mean that the sex was nice?"

Bella nodded.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you mean nice like. . . vanilla nice?"

Alice said in a warning tone. "Come on, Rosalie."

Bella asked, "What does that mean?"

Rosalie let out a frustrated sigh. "I bet you guys only did it in one position."

Alice cried, "Rosalie!"

Bella said, "We tried other positions."

Rosalie gave her a doubtful expression. "Tried? There's a difference between trying and liking other positions."

Bella shook her head. "I'm not having this conversation." She walked toward the house.

Alice said, "Wait! Okay. We won't talk about that, but what else is bothering you?"

Bella stopped and it took her a moment to turn back around.

Alice waited for Bella to speak.

Bella looked at Rosalie and then at Alice. She said, "I don't know if. . . what if this is just a physical thing."

Rosalie had a small smile on her face. "There's nothing wrong with that."

Alice rolled her eyes.

Bella said, "But, it seems like we've talked about everything about sex except. . . our feelings."

Alice's brow furrowed. "Do you mean. . . you're not sure how he feels about you?"

Bella looked down at her hands again and shook her head.

Alice placed her hands on her hips. "You mean my brother had sex with you, but he hasn't told you if he has any feelings for you?"

Bella looked up. "Well, when you say it that way, it sounds kind of bad."

Alice cursed. "How can he be such an idiot?"

Rosalie said, "He's not the type to just have sex with anyone."

They both gave her a questioning look.

Rosalie held up a hand. "Look, I'll admit. When I first met Edward, I was curious. He is attractive and I made it pretty obvious that I was more than willing to-"

"We get the idea," Alice said.

Rosalie continued, "Anyway, he told me that he wasn't interested in me that way. I thought at first he was playing games, but he really meant it. And during all the times he's accompanied me on events for clients, he never once tried anything."

Alice said, "So what's your point?"

She gave her a look of disbelief. "Alice, I've had guys try to get in my pants since I was sixteen. Edward was the first who didn't try. I thought he was just playing hard to get, but. . ." Rosalie looked at Bella. "Edward's not the type of guy who's lead by his package."

Bella was stunned, but was quick to recover. "So, what? Am I supposed to feel grateful that we had sex? I'm not the kind of person who has sex on a whim. I. . . I can't be casual about this."

Alice gave her a small smile. "Geez, Bella. Don't you realize what you're saying?"

Bella gave her a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"

Alice said, "Neither of you are into casual sex which can only mean one thing."

Bella looked at Alice and then at Rosalie. "What?"

Rosalie and Alice groaned.

Rosalie said, "Does it have to be spelled out for you?"

Alice said, "Look, you're just going to have to figure it out, Bella."

She was about to say something else when they heard the sound of a door being opened and closed. Rosalie and Alice turned to see who it was, but Bella already knew.

Edward had come out through the door from the kitchen and descended the steps. He stopped a few feet away from the house unsure whether or not he should join them.

Alice turned to Bella. "I think you and Edward need to talk." She gave Rosalie an expectant look and she nodded. They both left Bella in her place and walked back to the cabin toward the door Edward had just came out of.

"You guys-" Bella tried to stop them, but they were already at the door. They didn't even bother to stop to say anything to Edward. Once they were inside the house, Edward walked over to Bella. There was a slowness at his pace as if he was expecting Bella to tell him to leave.

When she didn't, he picked up his pace and he was standing in front of her in no time.

They stood in front of each other for a moment before he said, "How long have you guys been out here?"

Bella shrugged. "When Alice came to my room. That's when we took a walk down to the lake."

His eyebrows shot up. "So you guys have been out here a while."

"We have?"

He nodded. "It's been a little over an hour."

Bella shifted in her spot. "Oh."

Edward hesitated before he said, "I wanted. . . I would've come out sooner, but Jasper. . . said I should be more patient."

She looked away from him and after a moment, she said, "Well, I guess we should go back inside." She started to walk past him, but he caught her arm.

"Bella, wait. I'd like to talk to you."

She stopped and turned around to look at him. "What is there to talk about?"

"This morning with Emmett. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for." She looked away at the trees in the thicket in the distance. "I shouldn't have expected anything different."

"Bella." He took a step toward her.

She took a step away from him. "Can we just forget about it?"

He plunged forward. "I'm sorry I was such a jerk. Emmett's sorry, too."

She shrugged. "Fine." Then she turned back around to return to the house.

This time Edward took her hand. "Bella, what's wrong?"

She turned to face him again. So many thoughts filled her head, but all she could say was, "And what about this morning?"

"This morning? I thought we just talked-"

"No." She took her hand back. "Why did you leave?"

"Are you upset about that?"

She lifted her chin. "Last night you made it seem like you didn't want to leave, and then this morning, you disappeared."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You were talking in your sleep."

She had opened her mouth, preparing to argue with him, but she was not expecting that comment. "I was?"

He nodded. Edward raised his hand and grazed his thumb across the apple of her cheek. "The things you said. . . actually, they were mostly sounds. . ."

Bella felt herself get warm.

Edward took another step toward her. "I almost. . ." He looked down at her lips and then back at her eyes. "I heard someone moving around upstairs and I realized that if I didn't leave right away, we might be caught. . ."

Bella's brow had a soft crease. "You still could've let me know you were leaving. Those dreams were. . ." She cleared her throat. "Graphic."

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

She rolled her eyes.

A corner of his mouth pulled up. "Well, from the sounds you were making, I shouldn't be surprised." He cupped her face. "Were you alone in these dreams?"

She swallowed hard. "No."

He lowered his face so that it was only about an inch away from hers. "Was I with you?"

Bella barely managed to nod.

Edward gave her a piercing look. "Let me just clarify something. You had graphic dreams of us together and when you woke up I was gone. Were you upset because I wasn't there to. . . help relieve some of the. . . tension?"

Bella felt her whole body flush. She pulled away from Edward and took a step back. "When you say it like that. . . it sounds pretty desperate, but I'm not usually. . ." She wanted to bury herself under a mountain of dirt. She turned to walk back to the house.

This time Edward got hold of one of her shoulders. He spun her around, placed a hand behind her neck, and his lips crashed down on Bella's.

Bella was stunned and at first just stood there, but then Edward's other hand found it's way around her waist and he drew her toward him. She gasped at the sudden contact of their chests against each other and Edward took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He was hesitant at first, testing with the tip of his tongue, but the action only encouraged Bella, so she widened her mouth to welcome more of Edward's tongue inside hers.

One of Bella's arms snaked around him and the other found it's way entangled in his hair. The kiss became more fervent and Edward's arms wrapped tighter around her, fisting her shirt in his hands.

Bella closed the distance between them and she couldn't help letting out a soft moan escape through their kiss when she felt his hardness pressed against her hip.

The sound Bella made caused Edward to reach up behind her head and gently fist the hair at the nape of her neck. He broke away from the kiss and started to lathe her neck, starting at the spot just below her ear.

Bella tried to catch her breath, but her breathing was uneven. She could barely keep her eyes open. Edward's mouth was soft and warm and occasionally he'd nip at her neck. Without thinking, she adjusted her hips so that she could feel him right over her zipper. She rubbed her hips against his which caused Edward to groan.

He breathed a kiss at the base of her neck. "I'm sorry I left you this morning, but I will make it up to you." His voice was rough.

"When?"

Edward lifted his head to look at Bella. Her eyes were so drunk with desire that he couldn't help smiling.

The smile caused Bella to snap out of her lustful state and she blushed. "I-"

He silenced her with a soft kiss. He pulled away just enough to talk, but his lips brushed on top of hers while he did. "God, I want to be alone with you right now."

There was something nagging in the back of Bella's mind, but it was difficult concentrating especially when her body was pressed against Edward's like this and his lips were still on hers, but he wasn't kissing her.

Then it hit her and she pulled her face away from his. "Um, there's something we need to talk about."

Edward pulled away and loosened his grip just enough so that he could concentrate on what she was saying. "Talk about what?"

"Well, it's just. . . this is moving fast and I don't normally just. . . jump into bed with someone so quickly."

He gave her a concerned look and touched her face. "I don't either, Bella."

She leaned into his touch. "But, I. . . It's clearly obvious how much we want each other, but what happens afterward?"

His brow wrinkled. "Afterward?"

Bella steeled herself to get the words out. "Is this going to be a one time thing? Because if it is, I don't do casual sex."

This time Edward let go of Bella. "I don't either."

Bella plowed on as if she didn't hear him. "If this is just a purely physical thing and we do this to get it out of our systems, I don't know if I can handle that. I'd rather we stopped-"

Edward took her face in his hands and kissed her.

Bella pulled away reluctantly. "Edward-"

"There's something I need you to listen to."

Bella wore a confused expression. "What? Right now?"

He nodded and took her hand then lead her back to the cabin.

"But, Edward. I don't understand. Can't we just talk?"

They stopped right in front of the door that lead into the kitchen. He turned to look at her. "We can talk, but it's just really important to me for you to listen to this." He turned to walk up the steps.

Bella still held his hand, but pulled on it which caused him to turn around again. "Listen to what? Why is it so important?"

He reached out with his other hand and brushed away the hair across her forehead. "It's a piano piece that I wrote. It'll help explain. . . everything." He gave her an anxious look. "Will you listen?"

Bella was surprised by his uneasiness. He was usually so calm and collected. "Of course, I'll listen."

He grinned and kissed her lips one more time before he lead her back into the house.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Holy cow! This story has over 1,200 reviews. That is insane. You guys are awesome and welcome to the new readers who have caught up. That is amazing b/c this story is so effing long and I'm in awe that some of you guys just didn't give up reading it. But to everyone, thank you for sticking with the story and rec'ing it to friends. I'm really flattered by all the attention and support you guys have shown me._

_This is also my first lemon, so I hope you'll forgive any awkwardness. I wasn't going to go in that direction at this point of the story yet, but after much discussion with my betas and evaluating Bella and Edward's relationship at this point in the story, it seemed like a natural progression. (Plus, I don't think they could stand anymore cockblocking.) :)This is part of the reason why it took a while to get this chapter ready. I spent a lot of time with my betas' feedback revising that scene. I feel like it's finally gotten to the point where it's acceptable.  
_

_I also wanted to apologize for the long wait in between posts. I've been sick a lot lately, but things are starting to turn around. I wanted to assure you all that even though it may take me a while to post, I'm still going to finish this story. I'm always thinking about it and when I can, I'm writing. So please don't get discouraged if it takes a while for me to post. I always hope that when I do, it was worth the wait.  
_

_Special thanks go to spotzle and vjgm for being so generous and supportive betas. I am so thankful to have you guys beta this story.  
_

* * *


	13. Chapter 13: Lovely

_Author's Note at the end, but a quick friendly warning: **This** is where the angst begins.  
_

**Chapter 13 "Lovely"**

_I don't wanna talk to you anymore_

_I'm afraid of what I might say_

_I bite my tongue every time you come around_

_'Cause blood in my mouth beats_

_Blood on the ground_

_-_ "Blood on the Ground" by Incubus

When Edward and Bella walked into the kitchen, Alice and Rosalie were washing dishes. Edward looked at the dining area and saw that Emmett was reading the paper and Jasper was on his laptop. Everyone stopped what they were doing when Bella and Edward walked in.

Hand in hand.

Jasper and Emmett did what guys do in this type of situation and resumed their attention back to what they were doing. However, Rosalie and Alice had grins plastered across their faces.

Edward shifted in his spot, so that Bella was behind him.

Bella bit her lower lip and shook her head at Alice and Rosalie.

They both caught Bella's gesture and wiped the grins off their faces and returned their attention back to tidying up the kitchen.

In a disinterested tone, Alice said, "I thought it would be nice to go hiking on one of the trails by the lake."

Rosalie rinsed off a dish and passed it to Alice. "That sounds like fun. I've never been on any of them."

Alice took the dish and wiped it with a towel. "Neither has Jasper."

Emmett had stopped reading the paper and was looking at something on Jasper's laptop. "Hey, the Spruce Railroad trail is a nice one. It's not that hard and since Jasper and Rosalie have never seen it, it could be fun."

Alice put the dish in the cupboard. "My mother's family had a connection to it."

Jasper looked up. "Really? How far back?"

Edward's grip on Bella's hand tightened. He didn't really care about going on a hike. He needed just a little time to talk to Bella privately. This hike would just get in the way of that.

Bella let go of Edward's hand and stepped around him. She thought the Spruce Railroad trail was nice, but she wasn't a great hiker. She knew she'd spend her time watching the ground, making sure she didn't trip or fall.

She said, "Alice, it sounds like a good idea, but. . . I was actually hoping to get a little time to work on my final this weekend."

Alice looked at Bella. "You don't want to come on the trail with us?"

She shifted in her spot. "Well, I know it's a nice trail, but if it's okay with you, I'd rather work on my final while you guys go. I won't get injured doing that." She said the last with a apologetic smile.

Emmett said, "But, Bell. You'll be stuck indoors while we're out there enjoying the scenery and the nice weather." He held up the paper. "The forecast is sunny. Who knows how long it'll last?"

Rosalie said, "Now, Emmett. You wouldn't want your little sister to do poorly in school, now would you?"

Emmett opened his mouth, but after a moment he said, "No."

Rosalie continued, "Maybe it would be better for Bella to stay behind so she can work on her final."

Emmett said, "But-"

"And it's like she said." Rosalie gave Emmett a pointed look. "She'll least likely get hurt working on her final than going on the hike."

Emmett's shoulders sagged. "You're right, but. . ." He looked at his sister. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine."

Jasper said, "I could stay behind. There's some stuff I could catch up on."

Alice looked at Edward who seemed slightly agitated. Then she said, "Jasper, there are remnants of a post-Civil War log cabin along the trail."

Jasper's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Alice shrugged. "There isn't really much left. Just the foundation."

Jasper pushed his chair back. "Oh, I'd love to see that."

Edward said, "I can stay behind with Bella."

He had not said anything up until this point and everyone looked at him.

Bella said, "Are you sure?"

He gave her a small smile. "I could work on my write-up."

Bella said, "But-"

Alice clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled."

Rosalie said, "We should get going."

Emmett held up his hands. "Now, wait a minute. Let's not get too carried away. I need to check the weather for the rest of the day and check to see if there aren't any warnings about the trail. Also, we need to get provisions together."

Rosalie let out an exasperated sigh. "Emmett, it's just a walk through the woods."

Emmett leveled a look at her. "That kind of attitude is what gets people in trouble. I've seen hikers get caught in an unexpected rainstorm without proper gear. Some people think it'll be just a quick walk and they get dehydrated. There was this one time a bear-"

Rosalie held up a hand. "Alright, _Ranger Swan_. Let's hurry up and get started so we can go."

Emmett had a serious expression. "I'm not losing anyone on my watch. That would be the most disgraceful thing that I could let-"

Alice threw her head back and groaned. "Come on, Emmett. The sooner you figure things out, the sooner we go on this hike already."

He shook his head and pulled Jasper's laptop closer to him. He muttered to himself. "If something happens, you'll all be expecting me to figure things out. . ."

Rosalie and Alice joined them at the table.

Bella said, "I guess I'll go get my stuff." She headed in the direction toward the living area, but Edward took her hand and lead her to the hallway.

"I'll get my stuff too and we can work in the solarium."

They walked through the hallway and when they got to the end, Bella said, "Why are we going this way? And you know you didn't have to stay behind-"

Before she knew what was happening, Edward pinned her against the wall with a searing kiss. After a moment, he withdrew his mouth from hers and breathed kisses down her neck.

He mumbled against her skin. "That was a fantastic idea."

She was breathless. "What?"

"Staying behind to work on your final."

"I do have to work on my final."

He lifted his head and looked at her. "So, you weren't trying to get us to be alone together?"

Bella had a confused expression on her face, but when Edward's words sank in, her eyes widened.

He let go of her and took a step back. "You really meant what you said. You really do want to work on your final."

She took a step toward him. "Edward, I-"

"I'm sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to assume."

"No, I didn't want to go on the hike and I thought-"

He held up his hands. "It's alright, Bella."

_Crap_, she thought. _How can I fix this?_ She stuttered. "I-I-"

He took her hands in his. "Before you start working on your final, will you listen to the piano piece I told you about?"

It took a moment for her to process the words. "Piano piece? Oh. Yeah."

He smiled and gave her a soft kiss. "I'll get my stuff and meet you in the solarium." He turned and disappeared up the stairs.

Bella walked to her room in a trance and when she got in, she shut the door behind her. She absently picked up her backpack and before she could leave, there was a knock on the door and Alice and Rosalie let themselves in and shut it behind them.

Bella looked at them with a confused expression. "What are you guys-"

Alice said, "You're going to be alone with Edward."

Rosalie said, "I hope you're wearing nice underwear."

Bella groaned. "You guys-"

Rosalie took a step toward her. "How about protection? Do you have any?"

Alice looked around the room and walked over to the drapes. "The sunlight is really nice, but it's a bit too open." She closed the sheer white panels over the windows. "At least this way the light still filters through, but it's just enough to give you the privacy you need."

Rosalie picked up Bella's weekend bag and rummaged through it. She found what she was looking for and pulled out the midnight blue lacy boy shorts. "Wear these. I remember Edward's eyes practically fell out when he saw them."

Alice walked over the bag. "Wait, what about the lavender hip-huggers. He hasn't seen those yet and it'll be a nice surprise."

Bella snatched the underwear from Rosalie and took the bag from Alice. "I'm not going to change my underwear."

Rosalie and Alice were about to argue, but Bella held up her hand.

She sighed in defeat. Bella knew that Edward liked things simple. "I'm wearing the simple pink set with the tiny bows."

Rosalie said, "But-"

Bella asked, "Who says anything is going to happen anyway?"

Rosalie and Alice gave her looks of disbelief.

She rolled her eyes. "He said that he has something he wants me to listen to."

Alice asked, "What is it?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know, but he said it was something he wrote."

Alice's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Bella said, "Yeah, do you know what it is?"

Alice shook her head. "This gets more and more interesting."

Rosalie had an eager expression on her face. "Maybe that's how he plans on seducing you."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I don't think Edward is the seducing type."

Rosalie gave her another look of disbelief.

Bella shifted in her spot. "What?"

Rosalie looked up at the ceiling as if she could find some patience there. "You wouldn't even know you're being seduced."

Bella shook her head. "You make it sound like he seduces girls all the time."

Alice held up her hands. "Can we not talk about my brother as if he's like a player or something?"

Rosalie let out a frustrated sigh. "That's not what I meant." She put her hands on her hips. "If you're totally into a guy, he won't have to do much to make you want to fall flat on your back in a matter of seconds."

Alice and Bella cringed at her comment.

"What?" Rosalie looked at Bella. "Come on. I see how you look at Edward. When he's taking a drink, you look like you want to rip whatever he's drinking out of his hand and put your-"

"Rosalie!" Bella felt her face go flush. Was she really that obvious?

Alice shifted in her spot. "So, what's your point?"

Rosalie put both of her hands on Bella's shoulder and looked at her. "When we leave, no one will think any less of you if Edward manages to get you in bed in less than a minute."

Bella stepped back, causing Rosalie's arms to fall. "Geez. We have sex one time and you make it sound like we're sex maniacs or something. We've been apart for seven years, I think we have enough self control for one afternoon."

Rosalie shook her head at Bella as if she was a child who couldn't grasp a simple concept. "That's exactly my point, Bella. You're not going to be deprived anymore."

Bella dropped her backpack on the bed and then pushed away her hair on her shoulders. "Okay. Yes, I want Edward." She fisted her hands. "Last night was the hottest sex I have ever had."

Rosalie and Alice stared at Bella with their mouths dropped.

She continued, "But, if that's all it is. . . I mean, okay, I'm not going to say that would be awful, but. . . I want more from him."

Alice gave Bella a sympathetic look. "I hope you guys are able to work things out while we're gone. I. . ." She wanted to say more, but Alice decided it would be best if she didn't. Instead she gave Bella a hug. Then she said, "I'm glad you found a way not to come on the hike."

Bella withdrew from Alice's hug and stared at her with wide eyes. "You mean, you. . . you planned this?"

Alice lifted a shoulder up and then down. "Not exactly. I knew you guys needed time alone, and I tried to provide an opportunity."

Rosalie said, "Nicely done."

Bella shook her head. "Alice!"

Alice gave Bella an innocent expression. "Come on. Would you really rather be out hiking with us?"

Bella let out an exasperated sigh. "That's not the point."

Alice held up her hand. "It's the least I could do after what I put you through last week."

Bella shook her head again in disbelief.

Alice smiled and then turned to Rosalie. "We should get back to helping Emmett and Jasper."

Rosalie pulled out a wrapped condom from her pocket and gave it to Bella.

Bella took it. "You carry condoms in your back pocket?"

Rosalie shrugged. "You never know when you'll need one."

Bella winced at the intimate detail of Rosalie's sex life and hence Emmett's. She stuffed the condom into her weekend bag and picked up her backpack that contained her laptop and all her notes. She followed Rosalie and Alice out the door.

When she walked into the living room, there was a flurry of activity. It looked like Jasper had been put in charge of getting together the proper gear for the hike. When Emmett saw Rosalie and Alice emerge from the guest room, he told them they were in charge of gathering the provisions. It seemed Emmett was trying to print out a map of the trail and trying to manage what everyone else was doing at the same time.

"No, Rosalie. Just the basics. Water, some snacks-" His voice sounded exasperated. "No, not the wine! We'll get dehydrated during the hike and wine will just make it worse! I'm not carrying you back!"

Bella rolled her eyes and walked to the door that lead to the solarium. Emmett took things like this way too seriously and she was glad she wouldn't be subjected to Ranger Swan barking out orders. It was going to take forever for them to leave because of Emmett's attention to detail.

When she entered the solarium, Edward was already there. He had moved the double wide chair from the corner toward the middle of the room and was sitting in it. He had his earphones in and was looking down at his iPod.

He didn't notice her at first, but when she came further into the room and set her backpack down next to his chair, he looked up and gave her a warm smile.

He pressed a button on his iPod and pulled the earphones out of his ears. "What took you so long?"

Bella shifted in her spot. "Rosalie and Alice wanted to-" She stopped herself. She couldn't tell him they were giving her a sex pep talk. "They just wanted to make sure I was okay staying behind."

His smile dimmed and he looked up at her with a meaningful expression. "Are you really alright staying here alone. . . with me?"

She nodded. "We've been alone before."

"Yes, but. . ." His eyes lingered on her face and then he shook his head. "Never mind."

Bella's brow pinched. "What?"

He wore an amused expression. "It's just. . . a lot different now than the other times."

Understanding dawned on Bella, and she said in a teasing tone, "You know I have that final to work on. You're not going to distract me are you?"

He took her hand and breathed a kiss onto her wrist. "Of course, I will." Then he drew her toward him and pulled her down to sit on his lap.

Bella let out a small laugh. "I don't think I'll be able to work this way."

He nuzzled the spot just below her ear. "That's the point."

"Edward." She willed her eyes to stay open when she felt his lips graze a trail down to the base of her neck. "I better go find another place to sit."

He held her in place and looked up at her. "You promised to listen to something before you started working."

She pretended to be annoyed and rolled her eyes. "If I must."

He picked up his iPod which slid between the cushion. He had it cued to where he wanted it, but the setting had changed when it fell beside the cushion. "Let me just. . ."

Bella leaned closer so she could see what he was searching for. Her eyes widened when she caught the title of the playlist he went into. "You have a playlist entitled _Beautiful_?"

He looked at her with a slightly alarmed expression in his eyes. "Um. . . yes."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "So, is this playlist based on some kind of theme or. . . person?"

He hesitated before he said, "A person."

"And this song you want to play for me is in this playlist?"

He looked away, pretending to be occupied with his iPod. "Yes."

Bella reached for his face and turned it so he was looking at her. When he finally looked at her, she saw that he was embarrassed. She leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss.

When she pulled away, she was only an inch away. "That's so very sweet. . . Mr. Dazzling."

Edward's eyes had been half closed and he had been planning on kissing Bella again, but when he heard the last part of what she said, he blinked several times and pulled further away to look at her with an expression of disbelief.

It took a moment for him to say, "It's me?"

She smiled. "You don't have to pretend that you're surprised."

He shook his head. "I'm not pretending."

She buried her face against his shoulder. "I thought you guessed it already."

He was still shaking his head. "I thought it might be, but I never believed it."

"Why not?"

He grazed her temple with the tip of his nose. "Because it would be too good to be true."

She turned her head and placed another soft kiss at the base of his neck.

He lifted her face, so he could see her and then he ran his finger across the apple of her cheek. "Hey, Beautiful."

Then he leaned in and kissed her.

After a moment, he looked at her and said, "I think you're ready to listen to this now."

It took her a moment to realize what he was asking. It wasn't easy for her to switch her mind from enjoying Edward's lips on hers to processing words and being expected to understand.

She stammered when she said, "Okay."

He held up the earphones and she took them.

She asked, "You said you wrote this."

He nodded.

"And you also had it recorded?"

He nodded again and when he saw the confused look on Bella's face, he said, "I have a lot of time on my hands back in California."

"Oh." She slipped the earphones in her ears and waited for Edward to play the song.

"Tell me if it's too loud." He pressed play.

She nodded and waited for the music. She was about to say that she couldn't hear anything when she heard the faint rustling of piano notes echoing through the earphones. Soon the notes turned into a melody that was timid and as it progressed she was overcome with the sweetness the music conveyed.

She had a distant memory of this melody being played on a piano back at the old Cullen house. Her eyes had drifted to the windows, but when the memory resurfaced, she looked at Edward.

He watched with apprehension. She realized that he was sharing a side of himself that no one else had heard. She touched his face to ease his tension.

She was about to say something when the melody changed. She hadn't heard this part before, so she concentrated on the notes. It went from timid to shy and now it progressed like a slow burn. The sweet melody was an underlying tone to the rising chords that played. It was provocative and she felt her body grow warm. Her heart rate began to increase as the relentless melody that was so seductive continued to be played. The music was building up into a crescendo and Bella was having a hard time bearing it.

Just when she thought her heart would jump out of her chest, the familiar timid and sweet theme of the song returned.

When the song ended, Bella's breath was uneven. She pulled the earphones out and tried to regulate her breathing.

Edward examined her face. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. Unable to speak.

He brushed away an errant strand of hair on her cheek with his fingertips. "Did you like it?"

She gave him a wide smile. "Yes. Very much."

He kissed her lips and rested his forehead on hers. "I'm so glad."

She pulled an inch away from his face. "What's it called?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You should know. You named it."

She pulled her face even farther away. "What are you talking about?"

He small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "It's called _Lovely_."

Bella blinked several times. She thought back to that day in the old Cullen house when they sat together on that bench. She only heard part of it and he left abruptly. He never asked her to name it though. She tried to recall the conversation.

She remembered that she had asked what he was playing and he told her that he was still working on it. He had said that she, no _it_ wasn't ready.

She remembered that she had said the piece was lovely.

Bella was flooded with emotions, but the most prevalent one was disbelief.

She adjusted herself on Edward's lap, so she was no longer leaning toward him. "I don't understand. How is that possible?"

He gave her a mild expression of confusion. "Well, I hadn't thought of a title and when you said it was lovely, I thought it was very fitting."

"Why?"

"Because you inspired it."

This time she jumped off his lap. "What?"

Edward stood up and looked at her. "What's the matter?"

Disbelief was etched in her face. "Does that song describe how I make you feel?"

He took a step forward and reached for her. "Very much."

She took another step back causing Edward to drop his hand. "That's impossible."

He wore a confused expression. "Why?"

She shook her head and said, "If you had written this last week, or even two weeks ago when you returned, I might've believed it. But. . ." she took a second to collect herself before she said, "But that was written. . . when we were still in high school."

Edward shifted in his spot. "Yes, it was."

Her eyes widened at the truth. She knew it to be true, but to hear Edward confirm it threw her off balance. "But does this mean you. . . felt that way this whole time?"

He took a step toward her, but when she moved back, he held up his hands instead. "That's what I've been trying to tell you." He licked his lips before he said, "I'm in love with you, Bella." In a low voice, he added, "Always have been."

There was no sound, no movement, nothing. Her senses had gone numb and she couldn't move her legs. She never dared to even hope, but now that the truth was laid out before her, Bella was paralyzed.

A small part of her rejoiced. This is what she had always wanted to hear. Never in her wildest dreams did she acknowledge this could ever happen. A small part of her heart flipped at the truth that Edward loved her.

However, the other part, a much larger part of herself, did not want to believe it. She ached to embrace the truth, but there was a duality to this realization that had an edge like a knife. It couldn't be true because if he was in love with her, he wouldn't have hurt her the way that he did.

Edward's tone conveyed his concern. "Bella? What's the matter?"

The sound of his voice somehow made it through the fog that had occupied her mind. It took her a moment to respond.

"But, you left."

Edward was not expecting that response.

Her voice sounded so weak to her ears. She said it again, her tone more clear. "You left."

"I. . ." Edward looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She found her voice again. "If you loved me, why did you leave?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I left because. . . I wanted you to be happy."

She tilted her head to the side. "I don't understand."

He hesitated before he said, "I thought you'd have a better chance at finding happiness without me being in the way."

"This doesn't make any sense." She looked at him like she didn't know him. "You stopped talking to me. How was that helping? How was that supposed to help me find happiness?"

Edward took a deep breath before he said, "Emmett's my best friend. You're his sister. I couldn't ruin our friendship."

Bella blinked back the tears that threatened to spill.

He continued, "I also couldn't tell you how I felt because I didn't think I ever had a chance. If I told you, not only would my friendship with Emmett be ruined, but I'd lose you too."

"Why didn't you think you had a chance?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Bella, you had your pick of any guy in the school."

She shook her head in disbelief. "What are you talking about? There wasn't anyone. No one ever tried to ask me out or anything."

He let out a forced laugh. "Well, of course not. Emmett didn't think any of them were good enough."

"What?" Her voice was furious.

"He. . . he'd hear some guy was interested in you and he'd. . . he had a screening process."

"A screening process?" Her voice had become louder.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter because no one ever passed it. No one except one person."

"Who?"

He hesitated before he said, "Garrett."

"Garrett?" She thought for a second before she said, "You mean Garrett Rambler?"

Edward gave her a curt nod.

"The one I went to junior prom with?"

Another curt nod.

"I don't understand," Bella said in a frustrated tone.

He shifted in his spot. "Emmett said that he was okay and he seemed to make you happy. He said. . . you seemed down for a while, but that Garrett seemed to cheer you up."

Bella threw her head back and sighed. "Garrett was gay."

Edward blinked several times. "What?"

She looked at him. "He was gay, Edward. The reason why we got along so well? He had a crush on Emmett."

Edward's mouth dropped.

She closed her eyes in a pained expression. "You left because you thought I was in a relationship with a gay guy?"

Edward shook his head. "No, well, not exactly."

She opened her eyes and waited for him to explain.

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I left because I. . . couldn't watch you be happy with someone else."

Bella's expression softened.

Edward continued, "If it wasn't Garrett, it was going to be someone else. I'd never have a chance because I believed you never saw me more as Emmett's best friend and I'd become another brother to you." He let out a frustrated sigh. "I couldn't betray Emmett and. . . ruin any kind of friendship I had with you."

Bella hugged herself. "But then why did you stop talking to me? Even when you went off to college, you stopped talking to me. We could've still been friends even then."

He lifted one shoulder up and then down. "I just thought it was better that way."

"Why?"

He looked at her for a second before he looked away. "Why does it matter? There's no point talking about the past. We spent the most amazing night together and I'm telling you now that I love you." He reached out for her, but she pulled away from him.

"If I was still in high school or even my freshman year of college, I probably would've just accepted this and I would've let you erase your mistake by making love to me, but. . ." She straightened her shoulders. "I'm not that girl anymore. I've had seven years to think about this. I deserve an explanation."

Edward had his hands on his hips and was looking out the window. His expression showed the conflict he was experiencing inside. After a moment, he said in a low voice, "Because it was torture, Bella. I figured if I kept my distance, I wouldn't find out that you found someone."

"But Alice. She must've told you."

He let out a hard chuckle. "She always made it a point to let me know you were free."

She wore an incredulous expression. "So, if you knew that, then why didn't you ever call? Anything?"

He tore his eyes away from the window and looked at her with a pained expression. "I wanted to, Bella. So many times, but after a while. . . I didn't know what to say. You had moved on with your life, and I didn't know if I could fit in anywhere."

This time Bella turned to face the windows looking out at the woods. It was so calm out there. The complete opposite of what was happening in the solarium. "You have an answer for everything."

He walked over to her, stopping a few inches behind her. "I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have left like that. I shouldn't have. . . I've made a mess of this." He lowered his voice. "But you have to know that I thought about you all the time. I wanted so much to call you and hear your voice."

"Stop it."

Edward pressed on. "I knew some day you'd find someone and I wanted you to be happy. If that meant that I had to tear myself away, so you could find happiness, I was willing to make that sacrifice."

Bella walked away from the window and away from Edward. She went toward the open doorway of the solarium.

"Bella, wait!" He caught her arm.

She pulled it away. "I can't listen to you anymore."

"What? Why?" He stepped around her, blocking her way.

She looked up at him. "If Alice wasn't getting married, would you have ever come back?"

He flinched at the question. "Yes."

"When, Edward?" She crossed her arms. "When I was married?" She swallowed hard. "When I had children?"

He looked away.

"When it was safe for _you_, right?"

His pained expression intensified. "Bella, I only wanted what was best for you."

Before she knew what was happening, her fist connected with his jaw. Edward was unprepared for the blow and fell back, holding his face.

There was venom in her voice. "You coward."

He looked at her in shock.

Emmett came running into the solarium. He heard the raised voices. Since the doorway was open, he glanced over toward the room and when he saw Edward go down, he rushed in to see what was happening.

"Bella, what the hell? Did you just hit Edward?"

She had not registered that Emmett had entered the room. Her voice rose. "You coward."

Emmett looked at her sister in shock. "Bella."

She continued, "You didn't do what was best for me. You did what was best for _you_."

By this time, Edward had stood up and Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper were hovering around the doorway.

Emmett held up his hands and approached her. "Now, hold on a second. Let's-"

She gave him a steely look. "Stay out of this, Emmett!"

He backed away.

She said, "Jacob was right."

Edward's brow wrinkled. "What do you mean?"

"Jacob was right." She repeated and then she said, "I would've been worth the fight."

Edward took a step toward her.

Bella backed away. "Don't come near me."

Edward held up his hands. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry that I hurt you."

"You don't get it, Edward." She looked at Emmett and then back at Edward. "If you had had the courage to stay and told me how you felt, I would've told you that I love you."

Edward's expression was full of sorrow.

"Emmett would've been pissed and he would have a hard time accepting it, but he would have to deal because I wouldn't have let you go." She swallowed hard. "I would've been worth the risk. I would've been worth the fight."

"Bella." He took another step toward her.

She shook her head and balled her fist again.

Emmett placed a hand on Edward's shoulder.

Bella said, "I don't believe that you loved me. If you did, it wouldn't have been so easy for you to cut me out of your life."

"It wasn't easy, Bella."

"Edward, it was seven years!" She shook her head when he tried to walk toward her again. She continued, "Seven years of nothing. How is that love?"

His mouth fell open before he could say, "Why didn't you tell me how you felt?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "When, Edward? You stopped talking to me. You avoided me like I was the plague. By the time you graduated, you treated me like a stranger."

He rubbed his hand over his mouth.

"During my senior year, all I could think about was what I had done wrong to drive you away like that. I thought you hated me."

He shook his head. "I could never hate you, Bella."

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "Really? Because not talking to a person for seven years kind of leaves that impression."

Emmett said, "Bella, take it easy."

She pointed at him. "No, Emmett. You're not going to defend him. You're not taking his side."

He held up his hands. "I'm not taking any sides. It's just getting a bit-"

"What? Difficult?" She shook her head and looked at Edward. "You know, I even tried following you to the same college, but then you left. Again."

Edward had an apologetic look on his face.

She had a hand on her hip. "If that's not a sure sign that you don't want to see someone ever, I don't know what is."

Emmett said, "Bella, why are you making this so difficult? He loves you. Isn't that what you always wanted? Why aren't you giving him a chance?"

"What? How can you-" She looked at Edward and then at Emmett. She felt her throat close up, but she refused to cry. "You knew Edward was in love with me?"

Emmett opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Bella looked at Edward. "You told Emmett that you were in love with me before you even told me?"

Edward closed his eyes and cursed.

She looked at them with a mixture of hurt and anger. "You know what, you guys were made for each other. You're truly BFF's."

Bella pushed her way past Emmett and Edward and went through the door. Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie were standing near the entryway.

Alice said, "Bella, wait. Please. Don't walk away like this. Edward was only trying to-"

Bella spun around to look at Alice. "You knew, too?"

Alice held up her hands. "Bella, he's my brother. I-"

Edward stood in the doorway. "Alice." He warned.

Emmett stood behind Edward. "Bells, please."

She shook her head which caused the tears to spill down her face. "No." It came out in a sob. She took a deep breath. "I'm not going to let you bully me into giving Edward a chance." Then she looked at Alice. "I'm not letting you manipulate me anymore." She swiped at the tears on her cheek with the back of her hand. "I've been such an idiot. I thought I. . . I knew what was happening, but I was so wrong."

She looked at Edward though her vision was blurred by the tears. "You broke my heart when you left and I thought I'd never recover, but I did. I thought I was over you." She wiped her face again. "Now. . . I. . ." She was shattered. She turned and ran into the guest room.

She shut the door behind her and locked it. She ran to the door that lead to the solarium and locked that one too. She went to the French doors and locked those as well and drew the drapes over them.

There was already someone knocking on her door, but she was too upset to recognize who it was. She couldn't face them. Bella walked into the guest bathroom, shut the door behind her, and locked it. She sat with her back against it and slid down to the floor. She was uncomfortable sitting on the marble floor and she realized that her phone was in her back pocket.

She took it out and was about to shut it off, but stilled her hand. She couldn't stay here anymore. There was only one person she knew that could help her right now.

Bella dialed his number, hoping that he'd answer.

* * * * *

Emmett was pacing the length of the living room while Edward stood at the window, studying the tree line. Alice and Jasper sat on the couch. Jasper had his arm around Alice's shoulders. Rosalie was in the kitchen making dinner much to everyone's surprise.

Bella had been locked in the guest room for several hours. Emmett had tried to get in through all the available doors, but they were all locked. He cursed to himself, realizing that he had taught Bella that if she were ever in a crisis alone, to lock all the doors and windows.

Conversation was strained and everyone waited for Bella to come out. No one seemed to be able to coax her out to have lunch.

It was the beginning of twilight and the sun was just starting to settle behind the trees. Edward watched like a sentry the progress of the sun setting. Twilight was supposed to be the safest time of the day. It helped center his turbulent feelings.

His attention was drawn to the driveway when he saw some headlights bouncing up the road.

Edward said, "Someone's coming."

Emmett walked over the window. "Is that a truck?" He strained his eyes to get a better look. "Pick-up. Looks familiar."

Edward said, "I don't recognize it."

The black pick-up pulled up behind the cars already parked in the driveway. The driver's door opened and a tall, dark haired, tan man stepped out.

Emmett's brow wrinkled. "What the hell is he doing here?" He went to the door.

Alice asked, "Who is it?"

Edward said, "It's Jacob Black."

Alice and Jasper stood up. Rosalie entered the living room. Edward didn't move away from the window.

They could hear Emmett questioning Jacob, but they couldn't hear Jacob's responses.

After a moment, Emmett showed up with Jacob following behind him.

When they entered the room, Emmett turned and said, "So, why are you here, Jacob?"

Jacob scanned the room. "I'm here to bring Bella home."

Emmett was upset. "What?"

Edward took a step forward. "Did she call you?"

Jacob gave Edward a wary look, but he nodded.

Emmett cursed.

Alice covered her mouth. Jasper put his arm around her shoulders again.

Edward kept his face blank.

Rosalie said, "Hey, Jacob."

Jacob turned at the sound of his name and saw Rosalie. He smiled at her.

Emmett narrowed his eyes at him and his smile dimmed. Then Emmett said, "She's not going anywhere."

Jacob held up his hands. "She didn't tell me what happened, but she sounded really upset. She said she needed to get back home and that. . ." He looked around the room before he said, "She couldn't stand being here anymore."

Emmett cursed again. He was going to say something else, when the door to the guest room flew open.

Bella only looked at Jacob and flew into his arms.

Edward flinched at the gesture.

"Please can we go now." Bella's voice was distressed.

Jacob nodded and stepped aside to let her pass.

Emmett followed. "Bella, you can't just leave like this."

Bella practically raced out the door and down the steps. Then she stopped halfway to the car and turned to Jacob. "My backpack. I need it. It's in the solarium. Will you get it?"

"Alright." He gave her the keys. "You can wait in the car."

She eagerly took the keys and walked toward the car.

Emmett called after her. "Please, Bell. Don't leave like this. We can work this out."

She turned around to see Edward standing a foot behind Emmett. Alice and Jasper were a few feet in back of Edward and Rosalie was on the porch. Jacob had emerged from the house with her backpack and was walking toward her.

Bella said, "I'm sorry, Emmett. I can't stay. I know you. You're going to try and force me to see that I'm wrong. But I know I'm right."

Emmett let out a frustrated sigh. "Bella, nothing has to be decided tonight. Geez, you haven't had lunch. You've been locked up in that damn room all day."

Bella said, "It doesn't matter. I can't even. . ." She looked at him and then at Edward.

At this point, Jacob had gotten to the car. He took the keys from Bella and unlocked the door.

Bella went to the passenger side.

Edward took a step forward. "Bella, please don't leave like this."

She tore her eyes away from Edward, feeling the tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

"I can't even look at you without wanting to. . ." She blinked back tears and swiped at them. She had promised that she wouldn't cry before she left. She hated herself for being so weak.

He took another step forward.

Bella said, "Stay away from me."

Edward stopped and held up his hands. "Okay. Just please. Don't go."

She shook her head. She turned away and reached for the door handle.

"Bella?"

She looked up at the sound of Jasper's voice. She saw that he was actually standing next to the front bumper of the car. She was surprised because she hadn't heard him approach.

"Jasper?"

He took a step toward her. "Please, just listen."

"But-"

"Bella, it's dark."

She was expecting him to tell her that she should stay, but she was caught off guard by the remark. For the first time, she took in her surroundings, and realized that it was indeed night time.

She looked at Jasper and noticed that the porch light had been turned on. It cast a glow on the front part of the house, but it barely extended to Jacob's car. She had been so focused on leaving, Bella had not realized it had gotten so dark.

Jasper continued, "It's not safe on the road when it's dark like this."

She bit her lip.

"You know that. Even with very good headlights, if someone doesn't know the road well enough, it can be dangerous at night."

Jacob said, "I can manage."

Jasper said, "I'm sure you can Jacob, but if something happened. . ."

Bella swiped at her face again. "No, I don't want Jacob to. . ."

Jacob said, "Bella, I'll be fine. I can do it."

Jasper said, "You probably can, but it's a big risk. If something were to happen to both of you, we'd never. . . especially if you're leaving like this, Bella."

Bella couldn't stop the sobs that came out. "I can't stay here, Jasper." She looked at him with pleading eyes. "But I don't want Jacob to get hurt."

Jasper walked to Bella and enveloped her into his arms. "You're so upset right now. It's not good to be out on the road like this. I know your friend Jacob would be worried about you and he'd have a hard time concentrating on the road."

Jacob was about to deny it, but he couldn't. He felt his heart constrict at the sight of Bella crying so violently.

"But, I can't stay, Jasper." Her voice was muffled by his chest.

He smoothed her hair. "Just stay until morning. If you still want to leave in the morning, you can. No one will stop you. It'll be bright and the road will be easy to see."

After a moment, Bella's crying subsided, but she didn't lift her face from his chest. "I. . . I can't be around him."

"Okay." Jasper said in a soothing tone. Once her breathing became even, he said, "You can stay in your room if you want. No one will bother you."

Bella pulled away to look up at Jasper. "I thought it would be better if I just left."

He brushed away the hair that was wet with tears and stuck to her cheek. Then he said, "Will you come back inside?"

"What about Jacob?"

"He's welcome, too."

Bella looked at Jacob.

He got out of the car and shut the door. "It's fine. I just have to call my dad to let him know I'm staying here tonight."

"I'm sorry, Jacob."

"Don't worry about it." He took out his phone and dialed his father's number.

Jasper put his arm around Bella and guided her back to the house. She stopped in her tracks when she saw that everyone was still standing in the same place. She'd forgotten everyone was still there.

Jasper made a gesture with his chin toward the house. Edward was the one standing closest, and he saw it. He was the first to turn toward the house. Everyone followed suit. Once they were in, Jasper brought Bella inside.

Once they made it in the house, Bella saw that the living room was empty. Everyone was in the dining room. Jasper walked Bella to the guest room door, and she went in, shutting the door behind her.

Jasper joined Alice in the kitchen and she threw her arms around him. "Thank you."

A minute later, Jacob entered the house. He saw everyone standing on the other side of the room. "Where's Bella?"

Jasper pointed at the door ahead of him. "She's in the guest room."

He nodded his appreciation and went to the door and knocked. "Bella? It's Jacob."

They heard the click of the door unlocking and the door was opened. Jacob entered the room and the door was shut behind him. They could hear the sound of the lock snapping back in place.

Emmett cursed.

Edward stood with his arms crossed, his jaw clenched.

Rosalie said, "We should finish making dinner."

Emmett said, "Who can eat at a time like this?"

Jasper said, "Bella's probably starving. I might get her to eat something."

Edward said, "Jacob could probably, too." His tone was grim.

Rosalie let out a deep breath. "Well, I guess that settles it then. Dinner should be ready in twenty minutes."

Alice went in to help Rosalie. Jasper and Emmett decided to set the table. Edward continued to watch the door of the guest room. Bella had told him that they were just friends, but at one time they had been more than just friends. He knew he shouldn't let his thoughts stray into that train of thought, but he couldn't help thinking what if she was finding comfort in Jacob's arms right now? Surely that could lead to other things.

He gritted his teeth. Deep down, he had no right to be jealous especially since Bella had so openly displayed her distrust in him. He walked to the door in the kitchen that lead out to the lake. He left without a word, sensing no one would stop him. He shut the door behind him and walked down the steps.

There was a wrenching feeling in his stomach. It was only a few hours ago he had entered that door with Bella and had a sense of heady hope. Now he was leaving it with a despair so deep, he wasn't sure if he'd recover.

* * * * *

Bella sat on the bed with her laptop out and her notes for her final. Jacob sat next to her, looking stuff up on her laptop. His presence was calming and kept her focused on working. She accomplished quite a bit, but then his cell phone went off. He checked the caller ID and said he would take it outside.

She pointed to the French doors. He pulled the curtains back and stepped out. He left the door ajar, mostly to reassure Bella that he was right outside.

He had been on the phone for about fifteen minutes. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but judging from his gentle tone and soft laughter, Bella figured it must've been Carlie.

She leaned back against the headboard and set aside her notebook. Then she rubbed her eyes and stretched. Her body and mind were drained.

True to Jasper's word, everyone had left her alone. She realized that her attempt at leaving was unusual for her. She'd never been the type to run away. No, that was someone else's strength.

She let out a weary sigh and massaged her temples. Bella hated being so spiteful, but it came so easily at the moment. It was such an uncharacteristic mood for her. She found it quite exhausting. She wondered how people managed to hold on being resentful all the time.

Not that she wanted to be vindictive. In fact, her resentment no longer burned like a pyre, but more of a simmering heat.

If anything, she was now overcome with feelings of betrayal and humiliation. Everyone knew that Edward had been in love with her. She had two degrees in communication and she never even guessed it. She prided herself in being able to understand other people's feelings and thoughts. She even considered herself to be more empathetic than the average person, and yet when it came to the people in her own life, she was totally clueless.

She wondered how long Emmett and Alice had known how Edward felt about her. Had Emmett told Edward point blank he wasn't good enough for her? Was that part of the reason he left? Edward had said that he was afraid of ruining both friendships with them. She considered maybe he hadn't told Emmett his feelings toward her all those years ago. But how had Emmett known? Emmett, who was as perceptive as a bat, was able to figure out Edward's feelings before her. It was beyond humiliating. It was humbling.

And Alice? Her heart was heavy at the thought that her best friend knew all these years about Edward's feelings for her, but never bothered to shed any light on it. Granted, Bella concealed her feelings for Edward from Alice, or at least she tried. Bella suspected that Alice knew she had some kind of feelings for Edward, but Alice didn't know how deep those feelings ran until she saw the pictures in her room. She had felt so exposed at that moment.

Had Alice known about Edward's feelings then? It would certainly explain why Alice got her that make over and bought her a new wardrobe. But, during the week while she was alone with Edward, Alice was actually the biggest impediment for any progress between she and Edward. And this weekend? Alice outright admitted that the hike was an opportunity she created for them to be alone. But deep down, Bella did not want to believe that Alice could be so manipulative about this.

She was also ashamed that Rosalie and Jasper had to witness her break down. She did not know them well, but she liked them and she hated herself for not keeping it together. Even now she was worried that her behavior had lessened their opinions of her. She inwardly cringed at the way Jasper had to reason with her not to leave. If she hadn't been so emotional, she wouldn't have expected Jacob to drive at night like that.

The spitefulness she felt was slowly slipping away and its place came guilt, remorse, and self pity. Emmett would tell her to walk it off, but she didn't think this was something you just brushed off and started over. How do you start over? Everything Bella thought she knew felt like a lie.

She wanted to blame Edward, but she was too exhausted to spare any more feelings on him at the moment. When she said that if she was younger, she would've let him make love to her to erase his mistakes, she was being honest, not vindictive. If he had come back sooner, she would've been more forgiving and ready to forget what happened.

She wanted to forgive him now, but she wasn't a teenager anymore and she realized that her love for Edward wasn't the same anymore either. She loved him. There was no denying it. But over the years, her love had turned into more than just the romantic first love type of feeling.

During Edward's absence, she had tried to move on with her life. In some ways she had. She had created a very fulfilling life in Seattle. She had become an independent, strong- willed adult. She was happy.

Although she had a few relationships with other men, her feelings had always strayed back to Edward. She had tried to move on, but her actions only made her love for Edward that much more strong. It was a love that survived heartache and longing. She also had come to appreciate the experience of loving someone like Edward because there was no one who would ever compare.

She had reasoned with herself over the years that their falling out was just a natural course childhood relationships took. You eventually grow out of the other person. It took her a long time to accept that truth she created, but she did because it helped her to survive. Once she accepted that truth, she was able to make peace with losing Edward, however, she continued to love him only because she couldn't stop.

Her mind drifted to last night. She had been trying to avoid thinking about making love with Edward, but now with all the new revelations, their night together took on a new meaning. Bella was so afraid that all they had between them was a physical attraction that led to incredible sex. She'd almost convinced herself that she was okay with that and maybe eventually it would turn into something more. Now, Bella couldn't help thinking that every touch and every kiss was motivated by so much more.

If that were true, Edward's feeling ran very deep. But if he felt so deeply, how could he stay silent for so long? How could he so willingly give her up?

Bella didn't realize she was crying until Jacob came over and sat down beside her on the bed. He brushed away the hair that was plastered to her cheek.

"You should try to sleep," he said.

She was laying down on the bed already. "I'm so exhausted that I should be able to, but I can't turn off my brain."

Jacob let out a deep sigh. "Maybe you should talk to Edward."

She shook her head and the tears spilled down her cheeks. "No. I can't talk to him right now."

Jacob wiped away her tears. "After dinner, he went to the living room, and just sat out there, waiting." He mumbled, "Hoping."

Bella looked up at him. "You think I should talk to him?"

He nodded.

Bella turned the side of her face back onto the pillow. "I don't think I can. I. . . He hurt me, Jacob. I don't think anyone understands."

He ran his fingers on her cheek. "Yeah. Things are really messed up right now."

She didn't say anything. He was right. She couldn't help letting a small laugh escape.

He smiled. "At least you didn't lose your sense of humor."

She looked up at him again. "Am I overreacting? I. . . It seems like everyone expects me to just get over the fact that even though he loves me, he cut me out of his life for the last seven years. Jacob, you know better than anyone else how hard it was for me."

He closed his eyes and nodded. It was a minute before he opened them and looked at her. "I wouldn't expect you to get over this so quickly."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

He took her hand. "But I also know that you're not the type to wallow in self pity either."

She took her hand away. "I think I'm entitled to a little self pity." She sat up. "All these years, I've been sucking it up, moving on. Yeah, there might've been times where I was sad and lonely for Edward, but I never once let myself shed a tear over it because I believed we parted ways for good and there was nothing I could do about it."

She took in a deep breath. "But now. . ." She steadied her voice. "How am I supposed to feel knowing that it was within Edward's power to change all that? All he had to do was call. Anything. And he didn't."

Jacob was never one for tact. "Okay, so he screwed up. He's a guy, Bella. Guys do that."

Bella rolled her eyes up the ceiling and said, "You're the last person I thought would defend him."

"I'm not defending him. I'm just saying. . ." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You got to give him a break eventually."

Bella folded her knees against her chest and hugged them. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" He looked at her in shock. "Jesus, Bell. I figured once you got over being mad at him, things would be fine. This isn't like you to carry on grudges."

"What? You think I'm _mad_? I'm hurt, Jacob." She looked at him. "I could go out there right now and talk to him, but you know what I'd be thinking the whole time?" She hugged her knees closer to her chest. "I'd wonder if he was going to hurt me again."

"Bell-"

"I know what you're going to say. He loves me and he wouldn't."

"No." He tipped her chin so that she was looking at him. "Of course, he'll hurt you again. He won't do it on purpose, but there will be times when he hurts you and you'll be back to feeling like this, but you'll get over it. It's just that this time. . . he really screwed things up."

"This isn't like forgetting a birthday or something. He was gone for seven-"

Jacob held up his hand. "I know, Bella. But. . ." He took in a deep breath. "You're not going to like this, but. . . Edward's not perfect."

She opened her mouth and when something finally came out, she said, "I know that."

He shook his head. "Are you sure? Because he's pretty hard to measure up to."

Bella rolled her eyes.

Jacob's voice was gentle. "Okay. So maybe you don't see him has a regular guy. Maybe he's above average in your eyes. If that's the case, then this would be an above average kind of mistake, right? So, he's kind of on par for the course, right?"

She stared at him in disbelief. She shook her head to clear out the fog in her mind. She figured she was exhausted and that's why Jacob's words started to make sense.

She said, "I'm going to bed."

"Good. I'll be sleeping on the couch out there." He gestured with a nod.

Bella's forehead wrinkled. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah. I think they put some pillows and a blanket out for me, but I don't really need them."

She smiled and then it disappeared.

He looked at her with concern. "What's wrong now?"

"I'm so sorry you got dragged into this. I'm sure you had plans with. . ."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. She understands."

"But still. . . I'm sure she's not too thrilled about you driving out here for another woman."

He chuckled. "I told you not to worry about it. Besides," he stood up, "I told her you were a little crazy and needed looking after."

"Jacob!"

He ducked away from the pillow she threw at him. He picked it up and threw it back on the bed. "Night, Bell."

"Shut up." She turned off the night light and went to sleep.

He let out a small laugh and shut the door behind him. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness and his head turned when he saw a dark figure stand up.

"Geez." He hesitated before he walked to the couch and sat down. "Are you ever going to sleep?"

Edward continued standing next to the armchair. "I was hoping to see her."

He let out a short breath. "She's gone to bed."

Edward sat on the armchair.

Jacob studied his figure in the dark. "Um, you know that means, you can go to bed, too."

"I wouldn't be able to sleep."

"So. . . you're just going to sit there? All night?"

Edward didn't say anything. His eyes were trained on the guest bedroom door.

Jacob shook his head. "Look, it's pointless just waiting here while she's sleeping. You might as well turn in yourself."

Edward shifted in his spot. "I said I wouldn't be able to sleep, so . . ."

After a moment, Jacob came to a realization. "You're afraid she'll try to leave before you got to see her."

He didn't say anything again.

Jacob laid down on the couch. "That does sound like a Bella thing to do."

"Did she say she wanted to leave before-"

He held up his hand and realized that Edward might not be able to see it because there was no light. Instead he said, "She didn't say anything like that, but I don't think you're being paranoid either."

Edward did not saying anything, so Jacob closed his eyes. He would rather not have to sleep with Edward sitting a few feet away from him, but if the roles were reversed, Jacob knew he wouldn't leave the love of his life unguarded the whole night while a potential lover sat outside her room.

Jacob was starting to doze off when Edward said, "So, how is she?"

Jacob shifted on the couch. After a second, he said, "Do you want to know the truth or do you want me to sugar coat it for you?"

He was quick to respond. "The truth."

He let out a deep sigh. "She's better than she was when I first got here, but who knows what's happening now that's she's laying in the dark by herself."

Edward swore.

Jacob continued, "It's too bad she doesn't have her punching bag here. I think that would've helped out a lot." He turned on his side. "There was this one time when things between us were. . . difficult and she kicked the crap out of that punching bag. Bruised her shins pretty badly."

Edward's eyes widened. He remembered when Bella tore up her knuckles on the punching bag. Was she conflicted about him even back then?

Jacob interrupted his thoughts. "She's pretty upset. I don't think I've ever seen her this upset before. Bella's always. . . kept things in. I think it has to do with growing up with a brother like Emmett and a dad like Charlie. But. . ."

"But what?"

It took a moment for Jacob to respond. "If you tell her that I said this, I'll totally deny it."

"Scared?" He let out a small chuckle.

"I don't want to get on Bella's bad side."

Edward cringed. He had a very good point. "Alright. I won't say anything." He didn't think Bella would want to ever to talk to him again anyway.

Jacob took a deep breath before he said, "I think she's feeling hurt above anything else. Really hurt. It's going to take a while for her to get over this."

"You really think she will?"

He shrugged, but realizing Edward couldn't see him, he said, "I don't know. Bella's not the type to hold grudges, but she'll have a hard time trusting you again."

"Why?"

Jacob lifted his head to look at Edward. "Seriously?"

Edward shifted forward in the chair. "How can she not trust me? I love her."

"I know. It should be that simple, right? But. . . it was difficult for her while you were gone."

Edward flopped back in his chair. "I know. That's my fault."

Jacob sat up. "Yes, but it's more than that." He moved to the edge of the couch. "She made a life in Seattle and she became the independent, beautiful woman you see now. But there was always this underlying. . . sadness. She hid it well even from Emmett, but she couldn't hide it from me. I knew because I wasn't what she was looking for."

Edward narrowed his eyes at Jacob's dark figure. His voice sounded sincere.

He continued, "She was so full of regret and now. . ."

Edward waited for Jacob to continue, but when he didn't, he asked, "Now what?"

Jacob let out a short breath. "How would you describe someone who believed something for so long and now finds out it's all a lie? Is there even a word for that?"

The words broken and wounded came immediately to Edward's mind, but he didn't voice them. Jacob had made his point.

After a moment, Jacob said, "Who put Bella's dinner together?"

Edward was so deep in his thoughts that it took a second for him to process that Jacob was talking to him. "What?"

He repeated his question. "Who put Bella's dinner together?"

"It was Alice."

"Are you sure?"

Edward sat at the edge of his seat. "Yeah. Why?"

Jacob turned his body to face him. "She was convinced it was you. She refused to eat it at first."

"What?" He lowered his voice. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"Did Alice leave something on the tray?" He thought back to when Jacob brought in the tray of food into the guest room. He didn't notice anything unusual. He replayed the image in his mind again and a blur of purple caught his attention.

Edward asked, "Was there a flower on the tray?"

Jacob thought for a minute. "I think so." He remembered when he set the tray down next to Bella, she took once glance at it and almost kicked it off her bed. She had pointed at the food and asked what the hell is this and at the time Jacob thought she was crazy. He realized now it wasn't the food she was upset about.

Jacob said, "Actually, yeah. There was. I thought she was upset about the food, but now that I think about it, she must've been talking about the flower."

Edward swore under his breath.

Jacob continued, "She gave me the little vase and told me to get rid of it. I set in the bathroom. I figured out of sight, out of mind. Then she ate her dinner."

Edward ran his fingers through his hair.

"What? Why'd she freak out."

It was a moment before Edward said, "The other night when we were making dinner, she talked about getting some flowers for the table." He let out a deep sigh. "She said that there was this flower that grew on a vine that wrapped around the patio. Well, now it's the solarium. She said that she'd only seen it here, but it was her favorite."

Jacob waited to hear more.

He continued, "Bella said she wasn't sure if it was still there since the patio was remodeled and she wanted to check. She didn't get a chance because everyone got here, but. . ." Edward let out a deep sigh. "Before dinner tonight, I took a walk. I wasn't heading anywhere in particular and I found myself outside the solarium." He realized now he was drawn there because it was where he kissed Bella without hesitation. He cleared his throat and continued, "It was hard to see, but I found it, the flower. There were only a few, so I took one. I didn't realize that Alice had put it on her tray."

After a moment, Jacob said, "Okay. It was her favorite flower. Why'd she freak out? She's hurt. I get that, but I don't get why she made such a big deal about it. If anything, I would've expected her to just ignore it."

"Yeah, but. . ." Edward shifted in his seat.

"But what?"

"I asked her why it was her favorite and. . . she said that when we were kids and we used to come up her for the summer. . . that I. . . I'd give her one the first day we'd get here."

"You did?"

"I don't really remember."

Jacob let out a small laugh. "Girls. They remember the weirdest things. Did Alice know that?"

"I don't think so."

Edward lied. He did remember giving that flower to Bella, but he'd also given them to Alice and his mom. He stopped giving them flowers when he was twelve. Emmett had teased him about it and he never thought about it again. He hadn't realized that it left such a lasting impression on Bella until now.

Jacob said, "You know, I kind of get why you left and why you stopped talking to her."

Edward snapped his attention on to Jacob.

He continued, "I mean, if you truly love someone, you want them to be happy, no matter what, right?" Jacob didn't wait for Edward's response. "You really thought that you didn't have a chance with Bella."

It was a moment before he said, "No. I never thought she could feel the same way I do."

It was another moment before Jacob said, "I'm going to tell you something, but I want you to know that I only have Bella's interest at heart. I'm telling you this for her sake."

"That's fair."

"Bella's become. . . a fighter. That's how she's been able to get through all these years without you. Honestly, if she didn't have Emmett, I don't know if she would've pulled through like she did."

Edward waited for him to continue.

"Since she's a fighter, Bella's not going to understand why you left. She's not going to understand why you gave up."

"I didn't-"

"I know you didn't think you were giving up, but that's how she sees it."

"But I only wanted what was best for her."

"Geez. You didn't tell her that, did you?"

He faltered. "I did." Even Edward could see Jacob shaking his head in the dark.

Jacob asked, "What did she say when you told her that?"

"She didn't say anything. She. . ." He rubbed his jaw.

"What?"

"She punched me."

It started off as a low chuckle and then Jacob laughed outright.

"You're going to wake everyone up!"

Jacob covered his mouth, but his shoulders were still shaking.

"It's not that funny."

It was some time before Jacob said, "You might as well have patted her on the head and tell her not to worry her pretty little head."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"Have you forgotten? She's got an older brother and his best friend who have always been telling her what to do and knowing what's best for her since she was a kid." He shook his head again. "For someone who's supposed to be really smart, you can be so dense."

"What?"

"She needs to know that you're here for her now. That you're not going anywhere."

"I know. I-"

"No. Not right this minute. Just try not to explain yourself anymore. In fact, the less you say, the better. You have to prove it to her through your actions."

Jacob laid back down on the couch.

"Wait, what do you mean? My actions?"

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Show her that you won't leave her. That you won't give up." He turned over on his side away from Edward. "No offense. I need to get some sleep."

"Right." He sat in the darkness for sometime. Eventually, he heard Jacob's steady breathing signaling that he had fallen asleep.

Edward wondered at how Jacob could be so magnanimous at a time like this. He could use this opportunity to his full advantage and yet it seemed that Jacob had no intention of doing so. Edward realized how different they were in terms of how they loved Bella. Jacob was in love with Bella, but he was doing everything he could to make sure she was happy even at the cost of his own happiness. That was the difference between them. Jacob was actually being selfless, being there for Bella even when she was troubled over someone else.

Edward realized what Bella said this afternoon was true. He wasn't doing what was best for her. He did what was best for him. He wasn't protecting her. He was protecting himself. He thought by losing contact with her, Edward was helping her find happiness by allowing her to be free.

However, if he really had her happiness in mind, he would've been there for her just like Jacob. He thought he was being selfless, sacrificing himself for her happiness, but in the end if he had stayed, he realized he could've been the answer.

It was some time before Edward had dozed off, but even then it was a fitful sleep. He didn't usually remember his dreams, but he knew he wouldn't forget this one. He dreamed of Bella sitting by the fire, the light flickering on her face. She was smiling at him, his heart warmed by the love in her eyes.

Edward wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he knew he couldn't give up.

* * *

_Chapter 13 Note:_

_Edward's piece "Lovely" is actually a combination of Mozart's piano pieces. The "sweet" melody was inspired by Piano Sonata No. 11 Andante and the "breath taking" part is inspired by Piano Concerto No. 21 the Second Movement. _

**_Author's Note:_**

_I am so grateful to everyone reading this story. Thank you so much for the thoughtful reviews. I apologize for the long delay of this chapter. RL has been incredibly busy. _

_Thanks to the ladies at for being so supportive. _

_Special thanks to spotzle and vjgm for their awesome beta powers._

_I have the story written up to chapter 15 already. I can't guarante I'll be posting right away, but I will finish this story. (I'm not sure how many more chapters are left, but I'm almost near the end.) Thank you so much for sticking with me. I hope I can make it worth it. :)  
_


	14. Chapter 14: Strong Enough

I wasn't sure if anyone would notice if I updated. So many great stories updated this weekend.

**Chapter Note:** I needed some tissue when I wrote this.

Author's Note at the end.

* * *

**Chapter 14 "Strong Enough"**

_When I've shown you that I just don't care_

_When I'm throwing punches in the air_

_When I'm broken down and I can't stand_

_Will you be strong enough to be my man? _

- "Strong Enough" by Sheryl Crow

Bella sat on the coffee table in the living room. Her stuff was already in the car and Jacob had just left to wait in it. She watched Edward's sleeping form on the armchair. He looked so peaceful, but Jacob told her that Edward was restless last night. She moved to the edge of the table and took a closer look at Edward's face. She saw faint circles under his eyes and his mouth was set in a thin line. Bella realized that maybe it would've been better if she had left without trying to say goodbye.

As if reading her mind, Edward stirred from his sleep. His eyes were slow to open, and it took a minute for them to come into focus, but when he did, his eyes widened at the sight of Bella sitting in front of him.

He sat up in his chair and moved to the edge of his seat in one quick motion. Before Bella knew what was happening, Edward held her face between his hands.

He raked his eyes over her. "Bella? This isn't a dream, is it?"

"No, it's not a dream. It's me, Edward." He looked at her like he was committing every detail of her face to memory. She could feel her throat tightening.

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. "Are you okay?"

"I'm. . . I came to say goodbye. Jacob's waiting in the car."

Edward's head snapped back and he looked at the couch to see that it was empty. Then he looked at Bella to see that she stared back at him with a bewildered expression. He dropped his hands from her face.

"So, you're still leaving?"

She nodded. "I. . . I thought I should say goodbye before I left."

Edward wanted to say so much, but he remembered what Jacob told him last night. _The less you say, the better._ He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts before he said, "I wish you didn't have to go."

Bella shifted in her seat. "I think it would be best."

It took him a second to reign in his feelings. "Is it alright if I walk you out?"

She wasn't expecting that request. She expected another fight, but it seemed that he was trying to be amenable and not start one. A part of her was ready for it, but now she wasn't sure how to feel about this. If he cared, he would be fighting for her, right? She didn't want to think about it again.

Bella nodded and stood up.

Edward stood as well, but took her hand before she could walk off. The gesture startled her. Edward used the moment, to take the lead and walked ahead with Bella.

They walked in silence out the door and down the porch. The weather was cool and although the sun hadn't made an appearance yet, the light was already a muted grey in the sky.

Edward could see that Jacob was waiting in the car, but he was on his cell phone. They were half way to the car, when Edward stopped mid-stride. Bella was behind Edward and almost stumbled into him, but caught herself.

He turned around. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you trip."

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

He still held her hand, but took a step toward her. "Before you leave, I wanted to say-"

"Edward-"

"Bella, please. I promise that I won't say anything about staying."

She swallowed slowly. "Okay."

He took a deep breath. He was going to try keep this short and simple. "I'm not giving up."

Her brow wrinkled. "What?"

"I'm not giving up on us."

"Edward." Bella looked down at their hands that were joined. "I. . . I just need some time. I feel like I need to put myself back together again."

"Alright."

She continued, "In order for me to do that, I can't be around. . . I need to figure things out on my own. Last night I realized that I was being pulled in all these different directions and. . . I feel like I'll break and-"

He cupped her face. "It's alright, Bella."

"But, Edward, I. . . when you say things like that. . . I don't know what to think."

He ran his thumb across the apple of her cheek. "I know it'll take some time for you to. . . have faith in me again, but I want you to know that I'm not going to give up. If you need time, you can have as much as you want. But I want you to also know that I'll be waiting, Bella."

Bella closed her eyes for a second, enjoying his caresses. "I-"

He kissed her forehead. "You should know that once you leave, I won't be very far behind you."

Her eyes flew open. "What? What do you mean?"

A corner of his mouth lifted. "You'll have your space, but. . . I don't want to be too far away from you."

She shook her head, trying to loosen his hold on her face. "Edward, there's no reason why you have to-"

His hand never dropped away. "I'm tired of staying away from you, Bella." He took a step toward her. "I promise you'll have your space." He kissed her forehead again. "But, if you. . . need me, I won't be very far away."

The tenderness in his eyes caused Bella's stomach to turn over itself. A small part of her hoped that he wouldn't leave again and it seemed that he was determined to prove to her that he wouldn't.

She hesitated before she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Her voice was muffled. "Will you tell everyone I said goodbye?"

He enveloped her in his arms and lowered his lips on the top of her head. He spoke into her hair. "Yes."

They held each other for another minute before Bella let go of him. She looked up into his face. "I guess it's not really goodbye if you're going to leave after I leave."

He let out a small laugh, but then his expression sobered. "I meant it when I said I'd give you your space."

It took a second for Bella to realize that this was goodbye until she was ready to be with him again. Before she could keep her feelings in check, Bella's mouth crashed onto Edward's and soon their kiss intensified. She hadn't realized how passionate things had become until she heard a low groan rumble in Edward's chest. She broke the kiss and found her hands tangled in Edward's hair and he held her tight against him, the back of her shirt fisted in his hands.

Edward wore a stunned expression, his breathing uneven. "Bella?"

She unwound her fingers from his hair and took a step back. Edward released her with great reluctance. After a minute, she stammered, "That-That was supposed to be a goodbye kiss. I got a little. . . carried away."

A slow smile spread across his lips. "I don't mind you getting carried away."

She felt her cheeks burn. "I have to go." She turned to look at the car. Jacob was studiously looking down at his phone. She swore to herself. She wondered if he saw the whole thing.

"Alright." He kissed her temple. "Be safe."

She gave him a half smile before she went to the car. She opened the passenger door and slid in. Jacob closed his phone and gave Edward a nod while he started the car. It took a moment for Jacob to get the truck turned around and facing the road that lead to the highway.

While Jacob drove away, Bella chanced a look behind her and saw that Edward was still standing in the driveway. She lost sight of him when they followed a bend in the road.

Bella turned back around and watched the scenery through the passenger window.

Once they cleared the various turns in the road and reached the highway, Jacob said, "Are you sure you want to leave?"

Bella looked at Jacob. "Yes."

"It didn't look like it."

She rolled her eyes. "I was saying goodbye."

"Really? That was some way to say goodbye."

She shifted in her spot. "You saw that?"

"It was kind of hard to miss."

Bella felt her face grow warm. "I didn't-I hadn't plan to-"

He held up one hand. "It's okay. You don't have to explain yourself."

"No, it's just that. . . I was hoping that I'd leave without having to really see him, but. . . he said some things. . ."

Jacob waited for her to continue.

"He said that he wasn't going to give up and that. . . he was tired of staying away from me."

"Did that upset you?"

"At first, I was a little mad. I thought he was somehow trying to get me to stay, but he said he'd give me space to figure things out."

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes, but. . . he also said that he was going to leave right after we left."

Jacob laughed.

"What?"

He chuckled. "He's not very subtle, is he?"

Bella didn't say anything.

After a minute, he said, "You don't seem upset about that."

Bella thought for a moment. "No, I guess I'm not."

"How do you feel about it?"

"I. . . Stunned. I don't know if I believe it yet."

"He seems like the type that once he's decided something, he doesn't back down."

This time Bella managed a small laugh. "You could say that again."

"So are you okay with that?"

"Okay with what?"

"He's not going to give up, Bella. He's become your personal stalker. Are you alright with that?"

Bella laughed. "I wouldn't go that far."

He said in a teasing tone, "Next thing you know, he'll be watching you through your bedroom window."

She smacked him on the arm. "Shut up, Jacob."

"And then he'll follow you around in his car. You'll see it everywhere."

"Jacob!"

"He'll be everywhere you are and he'll say something like, 'Oh, what a coincidence. I was taking a run on this path, too.' "

She shook her head.

He continued, "Then you won't be able to hang out with anyone. That's so sad. Are you sure you want to keep him around?"

"Jacob, I think he really meant it when he said he'd give me space."

"Sure."

"He did. He said that when I was ready, he'd come back to me."

It was a minute before Jacob said, "How long are you going to keep him waiting?"

"I don't have a plan. I just need to concentrate on myself right now. I figure I'll be ready when I'm ready."

He shrugged. "Alright."

"What?"

"It's just. . . I suppose if he's waited seven years, what's another year or two."

Bella looked at Jacob in disbelief. "A year or two? Do you think it'd take me that long to figure things out for myself?"

"I don't know, Bella." A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "Look how long it took you to figure out that Edward was in love with you."

This time she punched him on the leg.

Jacob swore. "What the hell, Bella!"

"Despite what you think of me, it's not going to take a year for me to figure out things for myself. I don't know how long it will take, but. . ." She hesitated before she said, "Knowing Edward doesn't want to give up, helps."

He rubbed his leg. "That's going to leave a mark."

"Good."

"Carlie's not going to like this."

"Are you going to tell her that you got punched by a girl?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"Well, she is going to wonder where it came from."

She looked at him rubbing the spot where she punched him on his thigh. She raised an eyebrow at him. "But how will she know? It's not like you're going to show her, are you?"

Jacob's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Bella didn't miss his reaction. "Unless. . . you and her. . ."

His brow creased. "Bella."

Her eyes widened. "Oh my-"

"Bella, before you-"

"You and Carlie already-"

"Wait, you don't understand. We-"

"No. Don't explain anything." She held up her hand. "Please."

Jacob slowed the truck and pulled over on to the shoulder. It was relatively early still, so there weren't many cars on the road.

"Jacob, what are you doing?"

He hesitated before he turned his body so he was facing her. "I told you that me and Carlie decided to wait, but we've. . . spent a few nights together."

Bella's face softened. "I understand, Jacob."

His eyebrows shot up. "You do?"

She nodded. "I really do."

He looked out the windshield. "I always thought it was hokey, being in love with someone and having them be the last person you see at night and the first person you see in the morning. I used to think I'd miss the privacy or be happy not to have to smell morning breath on someone else, but. . . those all seem like lame excuses when. . ." He caught himself and looked at Bella. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go on like that."

Bella gave him a small smile. "No, I get it. I think it's wonderful that you're close like that with Carlie."

He looked down at his hands. "She told me that she didn't like waking up without me this morning. I still can't believe how lucky I am. I mean, she actually missed me. I'm a bed hog."

"Yeah."

"I snore sometimes."

"It's not too bad if you sleep with a pillow over your head."

He looked at her and narrowed his eyes at her in a teasing manner. "Well, at least I don't talk in my sleep."

"I do not."

He laughed at the sound of her voice faltering. "I'm sure Edward has heard you have some interesting conversations with yourself."

She felt her cheeks burn.

Jacob's shoulders began to shake at the sight of her red face.

Bella turned away and folded her arms across her chest. "Whatever. Can we go now?"

"Wait, he hasn't heard you talk in your sleep yet?"

"I don't talk in my sleep when I'm with him."

He couldn't help smiling when he started the car. "He's in for a real treat."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Bella, one time you shouted at the top of your lungs, 'Not the penguins! Please! Not the penguins!' and the whole time you were asleep. I thought someone was trying to break in the room or something."

She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you brought up the penguin story."

Jacob was already back on the road, driving at a fast pace. "I think Edward would get a kick out of that story."

Bella's eyes widened and she turned to look at him. "You better not."

He held up one hand. "Of course, I wouldn't, but it would still be funny."

"Would Carlie think it's funny if I told her that you like to walk around naked before bed time while you brush your teeth?"

"I don't do that!"

She shrugged. "No, but I think it would be funny to see you trying to convince her that you don't."

"That was below the belt, Bella."

"You're the one who said you were going to tell Edward the penguin story. I don't want him knowing that."

"Fine. No penguin story. That'll be our secret."

"And you better not tell Carlie."

"What? Why not?"

Her mouth dropped. "How do you think that would make her feel that you know another woman talks in her sleep? Her mind would only come to one conclusion on how you know that."

It took a second before Jacob said, "I see your point."

She rolled her eyes again.

He hesitated before he said, "I'd really like you to meet her."

Bella wasn't expecting that comment. "Oh, me? Really?"

He let out a small laugh. "Yes. Why is that hard to believe? She knows you're a big part of my life and she wants to meet you."

"Oh. Well, yeah. Okay."

"Try to contain your enthusiasm," he said in a sarcastic tone.

"It's not that. It's just. . . wouldn't it be a little awkward?"

"Why?"

She shook her head. "Jacob."

"Please, Bella. She's important to me and I want her to get to know you."

"Of course, I want to meet her, but. . ." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't think she'll like me very much."

He took her hand. "Of course she will."

She shook her head. "Why would she like someone who has a questionable history with her boyfriend and still keeps in touch with him?"

"It's not like that and you know it."

Bella sighed. "I wouldn't like it if Edward wanted me to meet some female he had gone out with and was so called 'just friends' with."

His brow creased. "First of all, I'm not Edward. And second. . ." He couldn't help smiling. "So you think Carlie might be jealous?"

Bella gave him an exasperated expression. Then she said, "That's nothing to be proud or excited about."

His expression sobered up. "You're right. I know." He focused on driving, but after a moment, he said, "But it's still pretty cool."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

The rest of the ride home was spent in friendly banter. Jacob did not bring up Edward again and she was glad of it. He always knew how to cheer her up or at least take her mind off of things for a while.

When they finally did get back to her place, Jacob walked her in, but she could tell he was anxious to get back to Carlie. She assured him that she would be fine and told him that he didn't have to stay. Jacob didn't need to be told twice and was quick to leave. Before leaving, however, Jacob did reassure her that if she needed anything, to call him.

Bella appreciated the gesture, but she didn't think she'd be calling him again. At least, not for a while. It seemed that things between him and Carlie were still in the beginning stages of a relationship and she didn't want to be a problem for them.

She looked down at her bags in the hall. That was rich of her trying to analyze other people's relationships when she couldn't even maintain her own. She decided not to unpack and instead pulled out her phone. If Edward was true to his word which she had no reason to doubt, he would be back soon. She decided that if she was really going to try and figure things out, she couldn't stay here where Emmett would constantly badger her to talk to Edward.

* * * * *

Edward had barely stopped the car when Emmett practically flew out as they arrived back at their place. The drive was tense and Emmett didn't seem to mind that Edward broke the speed limit getting back. They would've been back sooner, but there was a delay with the ferry and it set them back about an hour.

When Edward parked the car, he got out and started to walk up Emmett's place, but stopped. Just this morning, he had promised Bella that he'd give her her space and here he was now ready to march in to their house. He stood by his car, waiting for Emmett to tell him if it was okay for him to come inside.

A few minutes later, Emmett stood in the doorway. "Why didn't you come in?"

"I. . ." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I told Bella I'd give her space."

Emmett let out a deep sigh. "It looks like you don't have to worry about that because she's not here."

Edward pushed himself off his car and walked to the house. "What do you mean?"

Emmett stood aside to let him in. "She isn't here."

He looked around the living room. "Do you think she's still with Jacob?"

Emmett shook his head and help up a piece of paper. "She's gone."

Edward took the offered paper from Emmett and read it.

_Emmett,_

_I'm staying at Angela's for a couple of days. I'll be back later in the week._

_Bella_

It was short and to the point, but he reread it a couple of more times. He couldn't help hoping that the message would change and that Bella would come back.

Edward looked up to see Emmett already on his phone. "Who are you-"

"Bella?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah. Didn't you get my note?"

Emmett let out a sigh of relief and rubbed his hand over his forehead. "Yeah, but what the hell? Why do you have to stay at Angela's?"

"Is Edward with you?"

"Yeah-" He said before he could stop himself and then he winced. "Look, Bella, I-"

"I need to concentrate on my finals and I can't do that with. . . I can't have any distractions."

"We just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine. After Jacob dropped me off, I called Angela."

"You don't have to stay away." Emmett walked into the living room. "You would've been fine here."

"Emmett, it wouldn't have been fine. See, you're already trying to-"

He held up his hand even though Bella couldn't see him. "I'm sorry. You're right. I'm just. . . worried."

It was silent for a minute before Bella said, "I don't mean to make you worry, but I'm fine really. Once finals are over, I'll be home. I just. . . I really need to focus and. . . being at Angela's helps."

"Okay." He looked at Edward who waited with an expectant look. "Is there anything you want to say to Edward?"

"Emmett."

"He's right here, Bell. You don't have to say much. Just-"

"I have to go."

"Wait, Bell."

"Bye, Emmett."

He was about to say something else, when the sound of the dial tone came on his phone. He cursed to himself.

Edward said, "You didn't have to do that."

He looked at his friend. "Didn't you want to talk to her?"

"Of course, I did. But. . . I think we said all that could be said this morning."

Emmett studied his friend for a moment before he said, "You want a beer?"

Edward gave him a small smile and said, "Sure." He followed him into the kitchen.

Emmett went to the fridge and pulled out two beers. Emmett offered one to Edward and he took it. Then Emmett made his way back to the living room and sat on the couch. Edward sat a few feet away from him. Emmett grabbed the remote off the coffee table and switched on the television. He searched a few channels before he settled on ESPN.

They sat in silence, drinking their beers and watching sports highlights. Edward wondered what was going through Emmett's mind at the moment. He snuck a glance at him and his expression seemed complacent. Edward returned his attention back to the television. He was fascinated by Emmett's ability to compartmentalize things.

After a moment, Emmett said, "Bella said she'd be back once finals were over."

"Oh. That's good."

"Yeah, I guess I can see why she'd want to leave. I mean, here we are drinking beers, watching sports highlights. I think it'd drive her crazy."

Edward chuckled. "I probably wouldn't have come in if she was here."

Emmett looked at Edward. "Why not?"

Edward took a deep pull of his beer before he said, "I don't want to push her, Emmett. She said she needed time and I want to give it to her. If it means that after a while, she'll give me another chance, I'll wait."

Emmett nodded in acknowledgment. "Yeah, but. . . who knows how long that will take?"

Edward looked at Emmett and gave him a small smile. "I've waited for more than seven years for her. If I can't wait a little longer, then I don't deserve her."

Emmett's eyes examined Edward's face. "Geez, you really are in love with her."

Edward didn't answer, and instead looked at the bottle in his hand.

They went back to watching the highlights and when a commercial came on, Emmett said, "So, you've been in love with her since high school?"

Edward was caught off guard by the question. He was surprised that Emmett was still dwelling on him and Bella. It really shouldn't have been a surprise though because anything that related to Bella was always a concern for Emmett.

Edward shifted in his seat. "Um. . . yeah, I guess you can say that."

"So. . ." Emmett set his empty bottle on the table. "The whole time you didn't say anything was because you were afraid that I'd get pissed off or something?"

"Something like that."

"Well, you were right."

Edward looked at Emmett.

He continued, "But. . . maybe it was good that you didn't."

Edward raised an eyebrow at him.

Emmett scrubbed his hands over his face. "I was a total meathead back in high school, so I probably wouldn't have been able to handle it. It would've been really bad."

Edward put his bottle down on the table, too. "So, what's changed?"

It took a moment for Emmett to respond. "Don't tell Bella this, but I always felt there was something. . . off about her."

Edward's eyebrows shot up.

Emmett held up his hands. "Not in a crazy way. Just. . . I don't know. Like she was pretending to be okay, but she wasn't. For the most part, she seemed fine and I think she was, but there were times when I thought. . . maybe something was wrong."

Edward remembered that Jacob had said that Bella was pretty good at hiding her feelings, but it was becoming apparent that maybe she wasn't good at concealing her true feelings as well as she thought.

Emmett continued, "I never thought. . . I didn't realize that maybe she. . ." He looked at Edward. "Man, if she's been in love with you this whole time. . . I messed things up pretty bad."

Edward sat up in his seat. "No, Emmett. It's not your fault."

Emmett shook his head. "I mean, things kind of make sense now. She always wondered why you left and I thought maybe she was just concerned. I never thought that-"

"Look, Emmett. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I'm the one who was an idiot. I thought that if I just kept my mouth shut and went away, she'd find someone and be happy. But I. . ." He couldn't help cringing. "I should never have left. I should've. . ." He looked at Emmett and gave him a small smile. "I should've pissed you off."

Emmett couldn't help laughing.

Edward sat back and rested his head on the couch. "But what's done is done and right now. . . I just want to prove to Bella that I'm not going to leave again. That. . . I'm here for her and. . ."

Emmett ventured to say, "Maybe you're right. Maybe it's better that things happened like this. I wouldn't have realized that you're the best guy for Bella if I hadn't seen the other guys she's dated."

Edward couldn't help laughing. "Thanks. Winner by default, right?"

"No." He shook his head. "My father will agree with me that no one is good enough for Bella, and I think that's why I've been so protective of her." Emmett raised the remote and muted the television. "But, if she wanted to be with someone, I'd hope she'd have the good sense to choose you."

Edward was stunned. "Emmett?"

He held up his hand and continued, "Not that I think that you're good enough for Bella, but. . . if there's a possibility that you could make her happy, me or my dad can't be opposed to that."

Edward did not know what to say. He had never heard Emmett speak so thoughtfully about anything or anyone before. Emmett really had a soft spot for Bella.

After a moment, Emmett stretched and said, "I'm starving. I'm going to order a pizza. You want in?"

Edward laughed. "Sure. I'm just going to call Alice to let her know how things are going."

"Alright." Emmett stood up and went to the kitchen to find the number for the pizza place.

Edward took out his cell phone and called Alice. It only rang once before she answered.

"Edward? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Everything's fine."

"Have you talked to Bella?"

"No, she's not here."

"What? Where is she? Is she okay?"

Edward let out a sigh. "She's fine. She's staying with Angela."

"Angela?"

Edward could hear the hurt tone in her voice. "She said she needed to concentrate on finals. That's why she left."

"So, you actually talked to her?"

"No. Emmett talked to her."

It was half a minute before she said, "Do you think I should call her?"

Edward hesitated before he said, "It's probably not a good idea."

"You don't think she wants to talk to me?"

"I just. . . she really didn't want to talk to Emmett. She's made it pretty clear she wants to be left alone."

"But. . . I just want to. . . help."

"I know, but. . . I think she needs time to herself. She said she'd be back after finals."

"When is that going to be?"

"Later in the week?"

Alice let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm sure she wouldn't flake out on the wedding."

"You think I care about that?"

"Alice, I-"

"I know she wouldn't flake out on the wedding. She'd come despite what's going on. She. . ." Alice let out a shaky breath. "She's a really good friend, and she'd never let me down."

"You're right."

"But, if she's really mad, she'll do it only because she has to. But I don't even care about that. It's afterwards. Once the wedding is done, if she's still hasn't forgiven me, she won't pretend to be friends anymore. She's not the type to fight or make a big deal about it. She'll just stop. . . being my friend."

Edward stood up and walked to one of the windows. "Alice, you don't have anything to worry about. You and Bella have been friends for so long that I don't think Bella is just going to throw that away."

Alice sniffed. "You're right. I just. . . I feel like this is my fault. I should've-"

Edward ran his fingers through his hair. Why did everyone feel like it was their fault for what happened with him and Bella? "Alice, don't blame yourself. You had nothing to do with my mistake."

"I just think that if I had said something to you or to Bella that maybe things would've been different."

"What could have you said?" Then a realization hit him. "Did you know how Bella felt about me?"

"No. I mean, she never said anything. In fact, she made it a point not to talk about you." She swore to herself. "Geez. That should've been a clue right there."

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever she's hiding something, she always makes a point to act like it doesn't exist. I should've known."

"Alice, there's no way you could've known."

"No, but I had suspicions."

"Really?"

"They actually didn't get confirmed until. . . well, until you came back."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I just had this feeling and then. . ."

"What?"

"I. . . promised her I wouldn't say."

"Alice, tell me."

She let out a short breath. "Well, that day I came to get Bella before she stayed at our house, I was waiting for her in her room and I saw-"

"The pictures?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I saw them, too."

"When?"

"That morning before we drove up to the cabin."

"Did you say anything to her?"

"No, I. . . didn't know what to say."

It was quiet for a moment before Alice said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about those."

"If she didn't want you to tell me, then there's nothing much you could've done."

"I just think that if I had done something, then-"

"No, Alice. You can't blame yourself and you can't fix this."

"But, Edward-"

"Alice, things will work itself out."

"How can you be so sure?"

He chuckled. "I. . . I have to believe that. I can't believe that I've gotten this far and it's all for nothing."

"I'm glad to hear you say that."

After a moment, Edward said, "I'm having lunch with Emmett, so I'll be home later."

"Alright."

"Try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

Alice laughed.

They said goodbye to each other and Edward hung up the phone.

Emmett said, "How's Alice?"

Edward turned around to see him standing in the doorway of the hall with a sandwich in his hand. "She's alright. Shaken, but she'll be fine. I thought you were going to order lunch."

"I did. I'm waiting for it."

"Then what's with the sandwich?"

"Oh, it's just to tide me over until the pizza gets here."

He shook his head.

Emmett said, "You want one?"

"No, I'll wait for the pizza."

"How about another beer?"

"Alright." Edward grabbed the empty beer bottles and followed Emmett into the kitchen.

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating pizza and talking about sports stats. They didn't talk about Bella anymore which was just as well. Edward didn't know if he could talk about their situation again.

He was stunned to learn that not only was Bella affected by his leaving, but so were Emmett and Alice. Although they never said anything directly to him about it, he could tell in the way they acted toward him that they missed him and that it was nice having him there. Edward felt like such an idiot. He didn't deserve their understanding, but he was glad to have it.

After lunch, Edward headed back to his parents' house. He began to unpack his things and he was surprised that Alice hadn't tried to try and talk to him again about Bella. However, Jasper said that she and Rosalie were out taking care of wedding details. He was glad for that and Jasper seemed to understand that he wanted to be alone.

It was nice being back in his own room, but memories of sharing his bed with Bella a few nights ago drifted into his mind. He laid back on it, thinking back to the night she stayed with him in his room and replayed their conversation. He realized even then Bella's feelings were obvious. She welcomed being in his arms and even seemed to get bothered when she wasn't. He realized that if he had kissed her that morning that things might've been different at the cabin.

Or maybe it was inevitable.

There was no avoiding the fact that he had left her. Whether he had kissed her in his bed or at the cabin, the reasons as to why he'd left in the first place would come up and he imagined that the outcome would be the same each time. Bella would be hurt by the truth.

And the truth was that he was afraid that if he had shared his feelings all those years ago, Bella would not have felt the same way. The truth was that he was afraid of getting hurt. Bella was right. He was a coward and he really couldn't blame her reaction to the truth.

He showered and decided afterward to finish working on his write up. He needed something to keep his mind off of Bella.

* * * * *

"Are you sure this is okay, Angela? I mean, I know this is short notice and-"

Angela held up her hand. "It's not a problem. Don't worry about anything." Angela set down a folded blanket and a pillow on the couch.

Bella stood next to the couch. "But what about your roommate? Are you sure she's okay with it, too?"

"Charlotte spends most of her time with her boyfriend anyway. Her finals are done on Monday and I think she's just going to stay with Peter once it's over." Angela smiled. "I told you can stay in her room once she's gone. She won't mind at all."

Bella shifted in her spot. "I'll think about it."

Angela walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "What did you want to do about dinner? I know it's kind of early to be talking about it, but I don't have much, so I'll need to stop at the grocery store."

Bella followed Angela to the kitchen. "I don't want you to go out of your way for me."

"It's not a big deal. I have to eat, too."

"I'm sorry. I know you had plans with Ben and-"

"Bella." Angela shut the fridge door and turned to face her friend. "Please, stop apologizing and worrying. I love having you here."

Bella's smile was uncertain. "If you say so."

She walked toward Bella and put a hand on her arm. "I mean it." Then Angela turned to one of the cupboards and opened the doors. "This is really pathetic. I've got cereal and and a box of crackers that I have no idea how long have been in here."

Bella laughed and said, "If I didn't live with Emmett, I'd probably be in a similar situation."

"Really?"

"Emmett takes having a well stocked fridge and pantry very seriously. I think he developed a more sophisticated sense of taste because of our dad's lack of imagination. Our dad was happy with baked beans and beer."

Angela laughed.

Bella said, "Why don't we go to the grocery store together? You can get some stuff, and so can I, and we just pay for what we want."

"Okay. That sounds like a plan. Let me just get my purse."

"Alright." They both walked out of the kitchen. Bella waited in the living room and Angela went to her room to get her purse.

While she was waiting, _Prince Ali _went off and Bella grabbed her cell phone from her back pocket. She was dreading Emmett's phone call. She had hoped the note would be enough, but she realized it was wishful thinking. She took a deep breath to brace Emmett's onslaught of questions.

She thought the conversation was going well until Emmett tried to get her to talk to Edward. She didn't want to think after all that talk about giving her space that Edward would go back on his word. She had a feeling though it was mostly Emmett being his usual overbearing self. She let out a long sigh.

"Is everything alright?"

Bella turned around to see Angela standing in the doorway of the hall. Bella hadn't told Angela what happened. She had only told her that she needed a place to stay until finals were over and Angela took her in with no questions asked.

Bella felt like she was beginning to come apart at the seams. She sat on the couch to steady herself.

After a moment, Bella said, "No."

Angela put her purse down on the coffee table and sat next to her. "What happened?"

She let out a long sigh. She wasn't sure where to begin, so she said, "Edward is in love with me."

Angela, who had been sitting back on the couch, immediately moved to the edge of her seat. "What? Wait, you mean, like _in_ love. Like-"

"Yeah."

"But-"

"I know."

Angela was quiet for a moment. Once she had processed that fact, she said, "Wow."

Bella let out another deep sigh.

After another minute, Angela said, "You know, Bella, I told you that I love having you here, but Edward Cullen admitted that he was in love with you."

She looked at her friend. "Yeah."

"Um, why are you here with me instead of with him?"

"It's complicated."

Angela settled back into her seat. "I think the grocery store can wait."

Bella backtracked and told Angela everything that happened at the cabin. It was difficult at first, drawing up the memories of the night of the bonfire, but once she got past that, talking about it became a cathartic experience. The words tumbled out of her mouth until finally she got to Edward's song and his confession about how long he had been in love with her.

Angela stood up. "You punched Edward in the face?! Are you serious?"

Bella looked at her and gave her a guilty look.

"I can't believe you punched him." She sat back down. "But then again, he kind of deserved it."

This time Bella sat up in her seat. "Thank you. Emmett saw me punch him and was like, 'What the hell, Bella? Why are you being difficult? He's in love with you. Isn't that what you always wanted? Why aren't you giving him a chance?' I was so pissed off."

"You mean Emmett knew Edward was in love with you before you found out?"

"Yes!" Bella raised her hands in a gesture to emphasis her next point. "Why would he tell Emmett before he told me? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Angela thought for a moment. "Maybe he was trying to get permission."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, like in the old days, when guys would seek the father's permission before asking a girl to marry him. Maybe it was kind of like that."

Bella had a disgusted expression on her face. "He shouldn't have to get Emmett's permission to be in love with me."

Angela held up her hands. "I was just throwing out a possible reason as to why he'd tell Emmett first. I don't necessarily agree."

Bella placed an elbow on her knee and rested her forehead in her hand. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to get upset at you. I just. . . needed time on my own to sort things out. I couldn't do that back at my place with Emmett hovering at my elbow every minute."

"So what happens now?"

"I talked to Edward before I left. He said. . . he'd give me space and that he'd wait until I was ready. He wanted to prove that he wasn't going to leave again and that he'd be near by if I needed him."

"How sweet."

"Angela! You're supposed to be on my side."

"Bella, I am, but. . . okay. So you find out the person you've been in love with for nearly all your life is also in love with you, but he messed up big time. Are you really going to not give him another chance?"

"I. . . I don't know what to do."

"Um, wait. So, Edward loves you and you don't know what to do?"

She shook her head. "He left, Angela. He left and didn't say a word for the last seven years. Am I supposed to just forget that and act like it never happened? I can't."

"No, I don't expect you to." Angela hesitated before she said, "But, I also didn't expect you to give up either."

It took a second for Angela's words to sink in. Bella flashed her eyes at her friend. "Who said anything about giving up?"

She shrugged. "It just sounds like you. . . you don't want to give him another chance."

Bella's mouth fell open.

Angela held up her hands. "Maybe that came out wrong."

Bella recovered and took a deep breath. "You know, everyone seems to think that I should give Edward a chance. That he deserves to be given a chance." She stood up and paced the room for a moment. Then she said, "No one's ever asked me what I want. Everyone assumes that I should give Edward a chance because he's Edward. Why hasn't it occurred to anyone that what he did _hurt_ me?" She sat back down.

"I'm sorry he hurt you." Angela leaned forward and placed a hand on Bella's arm. "What do you want, Bella?"

She felt like she was holding on to the last threads of her sanity. Bella hesitated before she said, "I want the last seven years of my life back. I was so lonely. Do you know how hard it was to act like I wasn't? Pretending to be content with other guys? I. . . I wish Edward had never left."

The next came out in a sob. "I wish he was my first. If he had been, then I wouldn't have thought that making love with the right person was just stuff you only read about in books." She took a deep breath to steady her voice. "I want him to know how much it hurt when he left. Will he ever know? I don't understand how he could stay away for so long."

She looked at Angela with watery eyes. "Do you think if he had stayed that we would've been married by now? That it could've been our wedding we're getting ready for?"

Angela burst into tears and threw her arms around her friend. "I'm so sorry."

Bella continued to let her tears flow free and allowed herself to be held by her friend. She had not realized how much she had been keeping in. Once she started, she could not stop.

Angela was quick to recover, but still held Bella who was letting out shuddered breaths. Angela realized in all the years that she had known Bella, this was the first time she witnessed Bella crying over Edward. At times Bella would withdraw deeper into herself, but there was never any outward expression of how she felt. The melancholy would pass and she would seem to be herself again.

Angela wondered what caused that state of sadness. It could've been any number of things from a familiar scent to a new experience Bella may have wished she had with Edward, but she shared it with a poor substitute.

She hugged her friend tighter and said, "It's definitely a Ben & Jerry's night."

Bella couldn't help letting out a small laugh.

"And screw grocery shopping. We're ordering take out."

Bella pulled herself away and laughed again. While she wiped her face, she said, "That sounds like a fantastic idea."

Angela smiled. Then she got off the couch and went to the kitchen and returned with various take out menus.

Bella's eyebrows shot up. "That's quite a collection you've got there."

Angela shrugged. "I'm not a very good cook, but give me a phone and an order to place, and I'm a genius."

Bella grinned and looked through the menus. "Did you have something in mind?"

"No, but I think it should be something really good which means it's going to be bad for us."

She shook her head. "I have to be able to fit in that bridesmaid's dress, you know?"

"It's just one meal. I promise for the rest of the week, I'll make sure you only eat celery and water."

"Well, if that's how it's going to be, then I want some chili fries."

"Ah." Angela took the menus from Bella and flipped through a few before pulling out one that had a couple of grease marks on them. "This is the place. Not only do they have the best chili fries in Seattle, but their milkshakes are incredible."

Bella nodded eagerly. "That sounds perfect."

Angela got up to make the phone call. Bella sat back and tried to collect herself. She was glad that she could talk so honestly with Angela, but it was draining. She unloaded so much and she realized she had been carrying that baggage for a very long time. She was embarrassed to have carried on like that, but she was also thankful. She was beginning to think that no one could understand how she felt.

When Angela finished placing the order, she returned to the living room. "The order will be ready in fifteen minutes."

Bella moved to get up, but Angela held up her hand. "Aren't we going to go pick it up?"

Angela shook her head. "I'm going to go pick it up. You're going to stay here."

"But-"

She shook her head again. "You need to rest. You've been on the move all day. I think it would be a good idea if you took a hot shower and laid down for a bit."

"Angela, that isn't necessary."

"Look, you still have that take home final to work on right? You can't do any good right now anyway, so you might as well rest and then after dinner you can start working on it."

Bella rolled her eyes up at the ceiling. "Why must you use your logic on me?"

Angela laughed. "I'll stop at the store to pick up some ice-cream. Is cookies 'n cream still your favorite?"

Bella let out a small laugh. "Geez, you remember everything."

A soft expression came into Angela's eyes before she said, "Just get some rest. Use my bed."

Bella gave her friend a small smile. Then Angela took her purse and went to pick up the food.

It was a minute before Bella picked herself up from the couch and took up Angela's advice for a hot shower and some rest. When she was done, she thought for a minute of taking the couch, but laying on a bed sounded too good to pass up.

She slipped on her pajamas and before she laid down, Bella took out her cell phone. She felt bad for being so short with Emmett earlier. She decided to text him that she was fine.

She typed the text, but at the last second before sending it, she deleted it. She typed a different message and hit the send message.

But it didn't go to Emmett.

She shut her phone off and laid on Angela's bed. Her mind was spinning a mile a minute, but once her head hit the pillow, she was asleep in no time.

* * * * *

"Should we get some of these?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie looked at the outlet plug covers. "Why?"

He gave Rosalie an incredulous look. "The baby could electrocute herself!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but Edward said, "The baby is barely a couple of weeks old. Based on what my mom said, all she does is eat and sleep. Oh, and in between pee and poop."

Rosalie said, "Those are for when the baby is actually mobile."

"But. . ." Emmett put the package back and looked at the other merchandise for baby proofing a house. "I didn't realize how a home could be a death trap." He grabbed another item off its hook. "What the hell? Why do you need to baby proof a toilet?" His eyes widened. "Geez. What could-"

Rosalie snatched the locking mechanism away from Emmett and put it back. "It's probably just so the baby won't drink the water."

Emmett's shoulders dropped. "Oh. Well, that makes sense."

Edward shook his head. They were at one of those mega baby stores, buying necessities for his Aunt Tanya's baby. Even though the wedding wasn't until the next weekend, they were arriving the next day. His mom assured her sister that they didn't have to worry about bringing things for the baby. She made a list and gave Edward her credit card to pick up what the baby would need. He was about to suggest that Alice would probably be better suited for the task, but it seemed once they got home, she got wrapped up in wedding plans.

Rosalie offered to help Edward which he gladly accepted. Since Bella wasn't home and Emmett didn't have work until the next day, he volunteered to come along. Edward knew it was because he wanted to spend time with Rosalie, but now being in a place where everything was baby centric, Edward was glad to have another male companion in an otherwise pregnant female atmosphere.

Rosalie pushed the cart down another aisle and checked the list, taking items from the shelves and putting them in. She took down a nose aspirator and Emmett said, "What the hell is that for?"

Rosalie said, "It's for when the baby has a stuffy nose. You have to-"

Emmett cringed. "Oh God! How is that helping? That must be awful."

Rosalie shook her head. "Well, the baby can't certainly blow her own nose, can she?"

Emmett opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. Then he said, "I didn't realize how helpless babies are."

"Duh, Emmett," Rosalie said while she pushed the cart down another aisle.

"No, seriously. You really have to be prepared when you have one. I mean, I thought preparing for hikes and natural disasters was hard. But with those, you have an idea of what to expect. With a baby. . . well, there's so many variables." Emmett rubbed his forehead.

Rosalie inspected a packet of face towels. "Emmett, you're over thinking things."

"But, this is another human life! This is a big deal, Rosalie!"

Rosalie let out a deep breath and turned to face Emmett. "Yeah, and? Women have been having babies since forever. There have been unfortunate instances, but overall, babies have survived." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Pull yourself together."

Emmett blinked several times and then nodded. "You're right." He took in several breaths, causing his cheeks to puff in and out. "Alright. What else do we need to get?"

Edward followed Rosalie and Emmett down another aisle. Emmett seemed to be doing a little better, but then when they started looking at the various portable tubs for bathing, Emmett fell apart again.

"But the baby could drown!"

"Emmett, what are you supposed to do? Not bathe the baby? Besides you don't leave the baby alone when you're bathing it."

"But-"

She held up her hand. "Go find somewhere to sit and don't touch anything."

"Rose, come on-"

"I'll get someone who works here to help get this stuff together." She walked off, pushing the cart. Over her shoulder, she said, "What are you going to do when it's our kid?"

Edward's eyebrows shot up.

Emmett ran his fingers through his hair. "I didn't mean to be such awuss."

Edward let out a small laugh. "Come on. She's on a mission and when she's dead set on something, you just got to let her go."

Emmett shook his head and followed Edward. They went past strollers, play pens, and cribs. Emmett was about to ask if a baby really needed all of this stuff when they came across a section full of rocking chairs.

"Whoa." Emmett approached one of the chairs. "This is not like any rocking chair I've ever seen." He sat on the padded seat and leaned back.

Edward read the tag. "Easy Glider." Then he sat in the one next to Emmett.

They sat on the chairs, rocking for a minute. Then Emmett said, "Damn. I didn't know rocking chairs could be this nice."

Edward smiled. "It is pretty nice." After a second, he said, "So, you and Rosalie seem. . . pretty serious."

Emmett continued rocking. "Yeah."

"I mean, that thing she said. . . you guys have talked about kids already?"

Emmett stopped the chair. "Well, yeah."

Edward's eyebrows shot up again. "So, you guys are getting married?"

"Eventually."

"But, you guys just met."

He shrugged. "We talked about it."

"What do you mean?"

Emmett hesitated before he said, "That night at the cabin when. . . well, we were talking about our relationship and. . . Rosalie told me that she doesn't want to sell cars for the rest of her life. She said when she met the right person, she wanted to. . . start having a family of her own."

Edward stopped his chair. "Really? I never thought that Rosalie. . ."

Emmett straightened his shoulders. "Why not?"

He held up his hands. "I've never heard her talk about it before."

Emmett relaxed a bit. "Oh, well, she made it pretty clear that if I wasn't serious about starting a family and settling down then she needed to move on."

"That sounds more like Rosalie."

Emmett chuckled. "Yeah, she can be pretty direct." After half a minute, he said, "She picked me, Edward. She wants those things with me."

A corner of Edward's mouth pulled up. "Are you okay with that?"

Emmett looked up at Edward. "I never thought. . . I never thought I'd have a chance. Obviously, this is a step up for me."

"I'd say two or maybe even three steps up."

"Hey!"

Edward laughed.

Then Emmett chuckled again. "Definitely."

Edward rested his head on the cushioned backrest. "It's been a pretty crazy weekend."

"Yeah." Emmett continued rocking back and forth.

Edward said, "If someone would've told me that I would discover that Bella was in love with me, I wouldn't have believed it."

"I think Bella would've reacted the same way."

It was a moment before Edward said anything. "I've been a real ass."

Emmett chuckled.

Edward continued, "Hearing you talk about Rosalie. . . I never. . . I never once thought about what Bella wanted. I was so sure that what I was doing was the right thing to do for her. It never occurred to me that she'd want the same thing as me."

Emmett slowed the rocking chair.

"I thought by telling her that I love her that we could finally begin our lives together, but it turns out that. . . she was ready to start it years ago." Edward leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and threaded his fingers through his hair. He cursed to himself and said, "All these years. . . I thought she would find someone to make her happy, but she was waiting for me. I could've-"

"Edward." Emmet leaned forward in his chair. "Don't do this to yourself."

He shook his head. "I was an idiot, Emmett. I actually thought that she'd be thrilled to find out how I felt about her. I really thought. . . I believed that she'd actually welcome me with open arms."

"I hate to break this to you, but Bella's never been the. . . open arms kind of girl."

Edward was about to say something else, but was caught off guard by Emmett's comment.

Emmett continued, "She's never been one to. . . wear her feelings on her sleeve. I know that's because she grew up with a brother like me and a father who is the same way. So, it was easy for us to. . . not notice if something bothered her." Emmett sat back in his chair. "But I know one thing is for sure."

Edward waited for Emmett to reassure him of Bella's feelings.

"Bella is stubborn. More stubborn than me or my dad."

That was not what Edward was expecting. He looked at Emmett with a confused expression.

"It's going to take a while for her to get over this."

Edward let out a resigned sigh.

"You know, there was this one time when I forgot to tell Bella that I was bringing some friends from work over." Emmett smiled at the memory. "She had just finished a session with the bag and ordered a pizza. My friends thought she was really cute."

Edward muttered under his breath, "I bet they did."

"But once they left, she let me have it. She said she would've made herself more presentable and she would've made dinner. I told her it wasn't a big deal and my friends thought she was cool. She told me that she didn't care what my friends thought, but that she figured that I'd care enough about her to be more considerate." He shook his head. "She really knows how to go straight for the jugular. She didn't talk to me for a week after that."

Edward laid his head back on the back rest again. "So, she won't want to talk to me for probably another seven years, right?"

Emmett shook his head. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel bad. I told you because it shows how much she cares."

His brow wrinkled. "Is this some kind of Emmett logic?"

"Think about it. She wouldn't be so upset if she didn't care. And trust me, it's worse when she doesn't care."

"Emmett, she called me a coward and she punched me. That's supposed to mean that she cares?"

"Yes. That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Edward thought about it. Based on Emmett's explanation, the more Bella is upset, the more it means she cares. In some twisted way, it was starting to make sense. If anyone knew about Bella being upset, Emmett would know.

"So, I just need to hang in there."

"Right."

"If you ladies are done chatting, I'm ready to check out."

They looked up to see Rosalie standing behind them with a full cart.

"Geez, are you buying out the store?" Emmett stood up to look in the cart.

Edward stood up to follow them. "Thanks, Rosalie for helping out. If you hadn't come with me, I probably would be still looking for stuff."

She waved her hand. "Don't worry about it." When they got to the check out counter, she started loading stuff on it. "Besides, when your mom sees her credit card bill, she's probably going to regret letting me do the shopping."

Once everything was rung up, Edward handed over the credit card. It was a hefty sum, but he didn't think his mom would care. She was too happy to have her sister and niece coming to stay that she was willing to go to any lengths to make them comfortable.

When they got home, his mom and Alice weren't home yet. Jasper said they were still running errands. Rosalie took the liberty of setting up the baby stuff in the guest room. Normally, Jasper would get roped into Rosalie's projects, but since Emmett was there, he was expected to help out.

Edward and Jasper couldn't help snickering behind Emmett's back both amused that he was clearly whipped, but also relieved that neither of them had to take orders from Rosalie. Instead Edward and Jasper sat in the living room, watching TV and drinking beers.

Eventually, Emmett was sent out and he joined them on the couch.

Jasper asked, "So, how'd it go?"

Emmett let out a deep sigh. "I asked too many questions."

Jasper and Edward laughed.

"What? I just wanted to know-"

Jasper held up his hand. "You got to just do what she says, then ask questions later. When women have an agenda, they're pretty determined to get it done. It's better just to either steer clear or do what they say. Ask questions later." He had a small smile on his lips. "If you survive."

Emmett scratched his head. "I don't get it. I mean, I've lived with Bella all these years, and she's not so. . ."

Jasper finished his sentence, "Complex."

Emmett looked at Jasper. "Yeah, I guess. Everything's always been pretty much straight forward."

Jasper gave him a sympathetic smile. "You've been very fortunate. Bella's not like other girls."

Emmett let out another deep breath. "I need a beer." He stood up to go get a beer from the kitchen. "You guys want another."

Jasper said yes, but Edward said he was still good. Then his cell phone vibrated. He took it out from his pocket, saw that he had a text message, and opened it.

_I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing fine at Angela's and we're getting ready to eat dinner soon. I'm going to work on my final afterward and then it's off to bed. _

_Don't worry about me. _

_Night._

_3*_

_B_

Edward reread the text message a few times before he realized it was from Bella. When the realization hit him, Edward sat up in his seat.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Jasper asked.

Emmett had returned with the beers and was sitting on the couch.

Edward was sitting on the recliner and looked at them. "I got a text from Bella."

Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "What did she say?"

He read them the message.

Emmett asked to see it, so Edward passed him his phone. Then Emmett said, "Hey, she actually said _Love, B_."

"What?" Edward took his phone back and looked. "Is that what that means?"

Emmett shook his head. "Geez, Edward. It's a text heart."

"Oh." He looked at it and then when it sunk in, he said, "You mean-"

"Yeah."

Jasper held up his hand. "Now, don't go reading too much into this. She did already tell you that she loved you, so it's not something new."

Emmett narrowed his eyes at him. "Way to kill it, Jasper."

Edward moved to the edge of his seat. "So, what should I do? Should I send a text back? Should I call her?"

Emmett was about to say something, when Jasper interrupted. "Don't make a big deal about it."

Edward and Emmett both turned to look at him.

Jasper sat up. "You don't want to push too hard too soon."

"But-"

"Edward, just be cool about it." He saw the conflicted expression on his face. Jasper said, "Okay. Don't call her, but texting her back is okay. But keep it simple."

He looked at Emmett who nodded in agreement.

Edward looked down at his phone, trying to figure out what to text Bella. After a moment, Edward typed in his message and sent it to Bella.

He laid his head back and let out a huge sigh.

"What did you say?" Emmett said.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "I was honest, and kept it simple."

Emmett was going to ask what he said again, but Jasper said, "Good. So, are we going to watch the game or what?"

Jasper picked up the remote and flipped it on to a baseball game. Emmett became immediately engrossed. Jasper showed interest, but Edward was distracted. He hoped his message wasn't too much for what Bella could handle at the moment, but he didn't think it was.

* * *

_*For some reason, ff(dot)net won't allow the pointy symbol to complete my heart text. Boo._

**Author's Note:**

I want to apologize for the delay. I got this chapter back from my betas a while ago, but work got busy and then Thanksgiving arrived. Thank you all for being patient and I apologize again for the delay.

I hope this chapter has shed a little bit more light on Bella's reaction to Edward's confession. Some of you felt that Bella shouldn't have been so hard on Edward. If she was the same age as Bella was in NM, she probably would've been a lot more forgiving. But she's not. She's older, more experienced, and has had a lot more time to stew about Edward leaving. I also hope this chapter has revealed that this Edward is not as "perfect" as Cannon!Edward. He is human and is prone to making mistakes.

I like tension and conflict in stories that revolve around a characters' feelings. However, I'm not the type to endlessly drag it out either. The next chapter is fast forwarded after finals and is closer to the wedding. So, for those of you who were despairing over when B/E will see each other again, it'll happen in the next chapter.

Which brings me to my next point. I was outlining the rest of this story and it looks like there are only four chapters left. After I post chapter 15, I'm going to take a break from posting to finish writing the story. Once I'm done writing the story, I hope to post the last four chapters on a regular basis and finally finish! I hope that doesn't discourage anyone, and I know some of you are thinking that I could just post as I write, but the last four chapters are pretty intense and I want to keep the momentum going for the last part of the story. I want it to be both entertaining and satisfying for all of you and the only way I feel I can accomplish that is if I just focus on writing. I am really ready to finish this story (and start the next one I've been toying around with for a while.) I hope to finish writing this story before the end of the month.

Thank you all so much for reading. I appreciate all the reviews that you guys leave. They inspire me to put my best effort into each chapter. I'm sorry I don't reply to each review. There is a thread going at twilighted(dot)net for this story in the AH/AU forum. I do answer questions there.

Thank you also to spotzle and vjgm for betaing my story. You guys are the best.

Don't be discouraged! Have faith! We're almost to the end!

XO

Jenn


	15. Chapter 15: Practical

_I was never one for long separations. Author's Note at the end._

_Chapter Note: **Word Count +14, 000**_

_It's long, but it'll be a while until I post again._

_Special thanks to jenniesmith and katydid2363 for compiling a playlist for this story over at twilighted(dot)net. They helped bring you today's chapter song which by the way is made of epic win.  
_

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* * *

  
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**Chapter 15 "Practical"**

_I feel so untouched_

_And I want you so much_

_That I just can't resist you_

_It's not enough to say that I miss you_

_I feel so untouched right now_

_Need you so much somehow_

_I can't forget you_

_I've gone crazy from the moment I met you_

_Untouched_

_And I need you so much_

_- "Untouched" by The Veronicas_

The next few days were a blur for Bella. Between work and finals, her mind didn't have a chance to dwell on Edward very much. She did think about him, but she didn't have the time to linger on any feelings of regret or disappointment. She realized in the long run that it was probably best that way.

Since her mind was preoccupied, she also hadn't talked to anyone since the weekend. She felt a little guilty about it and knew she was using school as an excuse, but she wasn't sure what she could say to any of them at this point without feeling hurt or angry about the situation.

The only time she contacted any of them had been the first night spent at Angela's when she sent a text to Edward. It was an impulsive decision and after she'd sent it, she almost regretted it. She had told him that she wanted space and on the first day they were apart, she sent him a text. She was afraid that he would call her, and she wasn't ready for that.

Instead, Edward had texted her back. It put her at ease and at the same time made her feel so undeserving. But she saved it, wanting it as a reminder of Edward. At this point, Bella had his message memorized.

_Thank you for letting me know you're okay. I've been thinking about you a lot._

_Sweet Dreams._

_Love,_

_Edward_

She couldn't help smiling at the fact that he ended the message with _Love. _She hadn't been brave enough to type it out in her message. Now that Edward had told her how he felt, she couldn't help wondering if he was going to be more forthcoming with his feelings. It was a lot to read into one word, but she couldn't help hoping things would be different from now on.

Finals were over and she had just finished up her shift at work. True to her word to Emmett, she was going back home. When she pulled up to the house, it felt like she had been gone for months. She saw Emmett's pick-up, but it was the middle of the day. He should have been at work.

Bella grabbed her stuff and went inside. She went straight to her room to unpack. She had so much laundry to do. Once she had it all sorted, she headed downstairs to start a load.

She almost dropped her laundry basket when she saw Emmett sitting at the kitchen table. "What the hell, Emmett? Why aren't you at work?"

"I had a half day today." He remained seated with the newspaper flat on the table and a cup of coffee and an empty plate next to him. He ignored everything though and watched Bella, waiting to see if she'd fall to pieces or lunge at him and rip his head off.

Bella stayed where she was, but shifted in her spot. "Half day?"

"I knew you'd be coming home today, so I thought I should be here when you did." He hesitated before he said, "I thought it'd be nicer than coming home to an empty house."

"Oh." Bella looked down at her basket.

"Um. . . have you had lunch yet? I could make you a sandwich."

"I'm fine. I had lunch at school."

"How were your finals?"

Bella looked up. "Good. I think I aced both of them."

Emmett smiled. "That's nice to hear. So, this means that you're done with your Masters now, right?"

Bella shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Have anything lined up for a job?"

Bella shook her head. "No, but one of my professors said they may know of an opening for a communications position at a software company."

Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "You think you're going to take it?"

"It's not confirmed or anything. I mean, I'll definitely apply, but I'm not getting my hopes up."

"Why?"

"I don't have a lot of experience."

"I think you'd be great."

She shrugged again. Bella wasn't sure where this conversation was going. It was benign enough, but there was an undercurrent of tension. She looked at Emmett and realized that he was holding back what he really wanted to say.

"Emmett, what's wrong?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"You're not usually so. . . full of conversation."

"I just wanted to know how you were doing."

She gave him a suspicious look. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

He held up his hands. "No. I was just-"

She shifted her laundry basket on one side and put a hand on her hip. "Emmett, you better not have planned or done something to-"

"I didn't." He rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Rosalie told me not to jump on your case when you got home. She said that I had to give you time. That when you were ready to talk about Edward that you would."

Bella stared at him.

"I just. . . she said that I had to stop bullying you and start treating you like an adult. Adults talk like civilized, normal people." He had a petulant look on his face. "She said I had to at least _pretend_ to act normal."

Her expression softened. "Where's Rosalie now?"

"She's over at the Cullens', helping out with wedding stuff."

A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "Emmett, I don't expect you to change overnight for me, but I appreciate the effort. I do want you to treat me like an adult, but I know how hard it is for you to change."

He gave her a confused expression.

Bella shook her head. "What I meant was, I know how hard it is for you to change the way you think about me. I know I'll always be the little sister that you have to look out for, but. . . I can take care of myself. I also. . . need you to let me sort things out on my own."

He gave her an apologetic look. "I know."

Her heart softened at the expression on his face. He was such a big teddy bear. "Alright. Let's just settle this right now." She put down the laundry basket and walked to the kitchen table.

He looked at her with an alarmed expression."What do you mean?"

Bella moved aside the coffee cup and empty plate and then folded up the newspaper. "We'll do this the Swan way." She looked at him with a serious expression. "We'll arm wrestle."

Emmett laughed. "What?"

"Come on." She put an arm on the table and folded it at the elbow. "You win, we'll just pretend like everything's okay. I win, I'll talk about Edward."

Bella figured this was giving him the easy way out. She didn't think he wanted her to actually talk about Edward. This way Emmett wouldn't feel obligated to have to pretend that he was interested. Bella had never beat him at arm wrestling before, but she decided she would at least try to seem like she was putting in some effort into winning though.

Emmett eyed her with a wary expression and when he saw she was being serious, he said, "Deal."

They joined hands and steadied themselves on the table.

Emmett said, "On the count of three."

He counted out to three and when he got to three, Bella put a little effort into pushing against Emmett's hand, but instead of meeting with any resistance, Emmett's hand fell flat on the table.

He smiled and said, "You win."

Her mouth dropped, but when she recovered, she said, "You didn't even try!"

His smile grew wider. "If that's how I can get you to talk about Edward, then of course I'd let you win."

"You. . . you actually want to talk about this?"

He gave her a confused look. "Why wouldn't I?"

She stammered, "I-I. . .You. . . we never talk about stuff like this."

Emmett placed a hand over Bella's. "This is me trying to be an adult about this instead of your overbearing, pig-headed, older brother."

Tears formed at the corner of Bella's eyes.

"Aw, come on! Don't cry. Why are you crying?"

Bella wiped the corner of her eyes. "I wasn't expecting. . . You really are trying to change."

He squeezed her hand. "I figure if I had tried listening to you before, maybe things would've been different now."

This time the tears flowed and Bella couldn't help it.

"Um. . ." Emmett looked around and got up to tear off a square from the roll of paper towels on the counter. "I know it's scratchy, but it's the best I could do on short notice."

Bella smiled and took it. She patted her face with it and after a minute she said, "Thank you."

Emmett waited for Bella to collect herself. When her tears stopped, he asked, "Are you in love with Edward?"

Always leave it to Emmett to get straight to the point. Bella shifted in her spot before she said, "Yes. Always have been."

Emmett nodded. "And not in the brother kind of way either, right?"

She shook her head.

Emmett took in a deep breath before he said, "Are you still in love with him?"

Her brow pinched. "What do you mean?"

"Do you still love him?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't-"

"Oh good." Emmett ran his fingers through his hair.

"Why would you think that I wasn't in love with Edward anymore?"

He looked at her with an incredulous expression. "Bella, when he told you he was in love with you, you punched him, and then you left." He leaned forward. "You left with Jacob and you haven't talked to him for a week."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "It hasn't been a week."

"You left Saturday. It's Wednesday. It's practically a week."

Bella sat up in her chair. "Emmett, I was pissed off. I'm allowed to be angry. He. . ." She stood up and started pacing in the kitchen. "He said that he was in love with me, but he left me. For seven years."

Emmett held up his hands. "Bella, I know-"

She shook her head. "No, you don't. He could've called or something. Instead, he decided that it would be better for me if he didn't. _He_ decided." She narrowed her eyes at Emmett. "I'm not a kid anymore. He should've. . . talked to me."

"You're right."

"And-" She blinked a few times. "What?"

"I said you're right."

She continued to stare at him in disbelief.

He continued, "There are a lot of things he should've done, Bella. But he can't go back and do them." He stood up and walked around the table so he was facing her. "So, will you let him try now? Will you give him a chance?"

"Emmett, I. . ." Bella looked down at her hands. "I would like nothing better than to be with Edward."

Emmett's face lit up, but when Bella looked up at him and he saw the sad expression on her face, his brow wrinkled. "But what?"

She hesitated before she said, "I don't know if I'm ready to yet."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"I. . . I'm still hurt, Emmett. And. . . I don't think I can act like the last seven years didn't happen. I can't forget all the. . ." She didn't want to have another breakdown in front of Emmet. Not now. She had been doing really well for the past few days.

He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "What, Bella?"

She shook her head and took a step back, letting Emmett's hand drop. "Look, I'm just not ready yet." She walked over to her laundry basket and picked it up.

Emmett walked over, took it from her, and set it back down. He touched her elbow, so she would face him. The pained expression on her face made Emmett bring his sister to him. When she didn't resist, he wrapped his arms around her and then Bella just let go of all she had been keeping inside.

He patted her hair down and said, "It's okay."

She shook her head and some of her tears stained Emmett's shirt. "I love him so much, but he hurt me. How could he do that?"

Emmett held her tighter. He never realized how much his little sister was in love with Edward. His first instinct was to find Edward and beat the living crap out of him, but once Bella got started, she couldn't seem to stop talking about how she felt about Edward.

His instincts to protect her were quickly replaced with guilt and remorse. Emmett realized he should've been supportive in what Bella wanted instead of believing she needed to be protected. From what he was protecting her from? Emmett couldn't remember. He couldn't help wondering what things would be like now if he had encouraged both of them just a little. Emmett put the thought away because he knew it was pointless to dwell on it.

After a moment, Bella calmed down and let go of her brother. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

He took a step away from her and looked into her face. "Don't apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing."

Her brow wrinkled. "Why?"

"If I hadn't been such a jerk, then maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way."

Bella shook her head. "No. You're not a jerk." She touched his cheek. "Stubborn? Pig-headed? Annoying? Yes, but you're not a jerk."

Emmett let out a small laugh.

She continued, "Besides. . . there isn't any one person to blame. I could say that I should've been the one to say something. I should've-" She shook her head. "Or Edward could've-" She held up her hand. "See, this isn't getting us nowhere. I'm just trying to. . . accept things and. . ."

"Move on?" Emmett's tone was hopeful.

She gave him a small smile. "I'm just taking things as they come." She nodded toward her laundry basket. "If I can get through finishing my laundry without having another emotional outburst, I think that would be a great accomplishment for today."

"Okay." He picked up her laundry basket and handed it to her. "So, you're not going to avoid Edward anymore?"

It was a moment before she said, "No, but I'm not going to seek him out or anything. I mean, if I see him, I'll deal with it, but. . . I can't-"

"Okay," he repeated. "But it is inevitable that you will see him because of the wedding."

She closed her eyes. "Right."

"What? Did you forget about the wedding?"

"No, I. . ." She didn't forget about it, but she had somehow put it out of her mind that she'd get to see him sooner then she thought. She thought she'd have at least several more days until she saw him again. She realized she was being silly to think so.

"Speaking of weddings. . . have you talked to Alice?"

"Alice?" Bella looked at her brother with a curious expression.

"She's been asking about you."

"Oh, crap. She probably needs help." Bella absently placed her laundry basket on the counter.

"No, Bella." He caught her by the elbow. "She's not worried about that. I mean, she is, but she's mostly worried about you." He looked at her. "I don't know if you remember, but the last words you guys exchanged were. . . not pleasant."

Bella thought for a minute and when she remembered, her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh my gosh. She must be a wreck right now."

"Well, the wedding has been keeping her distracted, but you should give her a call. At least, let her know you're okay."

She nodded and raced up to her room to find her cell phone.

Emmett watched her disappear up the stairs. He saw Bella's laundry basket and proceeded to take it to the laundry room to start a load for her. It was nice having her back and even though he knew doing her laundry wasn't a big gesture, he was happy to help her even in the smallest way.

* * * * *

Bella had been sitting in front of the Cullens' house for almost ten minutes, but she had not gotten out of her car. She stared at their home with apprehension and a sense of eagerness. Her conversation with Alice had gone a lot better than she expected. Judging by the tone of Alice's voice, she had been relieved to finally hear from Bella. They talked for several minutes before Alice asked if Bella would like to run a few errands with her and catch up as well.

Alice sensed her hesitance and reassured her that Edward wasn't at home and that he would be running wedding errands with Jasper for most of the day. Bella was relieved and agreed to meet Alice at her house.

Now that she was actually there, Bella found it difficult to get out of her car. She knew she was being silly because Edward wouldn't be home, but she couldn't help it.

She finally forced herself out of the car, remembering that Alice had appointments at different places. When she got to the front door, she didn't have a chance to knock when it flew open and Alice greeted her at the door by throwing her arms around Bella's neck.

"Oh, Bella! I'm so glad you came. I was starting to think you'd change your mind." Alice let go of her and stepped aside to let her in.

She walked in and Alice shut the door behind her. "Sorry. I hope I'm not making you late for any appointments."

Alice waved her hand. "We're fine." She lead her to the kitchen. "We've got some time and I want you to meet my Aunt Tanya."

Bella followed her and when they entered the kitchen there was a middle aged woman standing in the kitchen with Alice's mom.

Alice walked over to the ladies. "Mom, Bella's here."

Esme turned to look and a smile from ear to ear spread across her face. "Oh, Bella! I'm so happy to see you," she said and gave Bella a hug.

She was surprised by the gesture, but returned the hug. "It's good to see you, too."

Esme let go of her and guided her to the other woman. Tanya had lighter coloring than Esme, but they both had the same friendly eyes. "This is my sister, Tanya, and. . ." Esme gently placed her hand next to the small bundle Tanya carried, "This is her daughter, Sarah."

"It's nice to meet you." She looked down at the baby's face and Bella couldn't help smiling. "She's so sweet."

"Thank you." Tanya looked at Bella. "So, you're Edward's girlfriend?"

Bella looked up at her with wide eyes.

Esme and Alice exchanged alarmed expressions. Esme spoke up first. "Uh, Tanya. Remember what I told you?"

Tanya looked at Esme for a second and when realization dawned on her, Tanya looked at Bella with an apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" She shook her head. "I know things are fragile between you two and that Edward-"

"Tanya," Esme cut in with a warning.

"It's okay." Bella gave them all reassuring looks.

Tanya's complexion turned a light shade of pink. "You'll have to forgive me. Between caring for a newborn and nursing, my brain is fried especially the part that helps keep my foot out of my mouth."

Bella let out a small laugh. "No, it's okay. It's true that things between Edward and me are. . ." She saw that Alice and Esme were giving her anxious looks. She hesitated before she said, "Things are delicate right now, but. . . I hope we can work things out."

Tanya gave her a relieved smile, but when she looked at Alice and Esme, they looked at her with such pleased expressions that Bella hoped that she wasn't promising something that couldn't be done.

"Mom, Aunt Tanya, Bella is going to go with me to run some errands. We have to get going." Alice motioned in the direction of the front door.

"Of course." Esme hesitated before she said, "I'll let Jasper and Edward know that you're running errands with Bella."

"Thanks, Mom." She kissed her on the cheek and then walked out of the kitchen.

Bella followed Alice. Once they were in the foyer, Alice said, "I'm so sorry about that. My aunt is usually more. . . discreet."

Bella laughed. "It's okay, Alice. She's really nice." Then she said, "Didn't Jasper already know that I'd be running errands with you?"

Alice hesitated before she said, "Yeah. . . my mom was just. . . testing you."

"Testing me? Why?"

"Well, she wasn't sure if you were really comfortable about. . ."

"Look, Alice. It's not a big deal."

She looked at Bella for a second. "Okay." She smiled. "I just have to go upstairs to get my purse and my list before we go. It'll only take a minute."

"That's fine."

Alice climbed the stairs while Bella waited in the foyer. She thought about going back to the kitchen while she waited for Alice, but Bella didn't like the idea of having to face any more slip ups that Tanya might make or other tests Esme might put her through.

Just when she was about to go upstairs to Alice's room, the front door flew open.

Jasper walked in first. "Alice, is not going to like this."

"I think we should just tell her. There's no use-" Edward walked in after Jasper. He wasn't paying attention at first and when he noticed Jasper still standing in the foyer, he looked up to see what had caught his attention.

When he saw Bella standing in the foyer, Edward blinked several times in surprise.

Jasper was the first to break the silence. "Bella?" He walked over and gave her a hug. "This is a pleasant surprise. It's so good to see you."

Bella returned the hug and couldn't help smiling at Jasper. He always knew what to say at awkward moments. "It's good to see you too, Jasper."

When they parted, Bella saw that Edward was still staring at her.

Jasper cleared his throat. "Where's Alice?"

"Oh, she went upstairs to get her purse and her list."

Jasper groaned. "The list. She's not going to like that she won't be able to cross something off that list."

Edward snapped out of his daze and said, "Do you want me to talk to her?"

Jasper was already climbing the stairs. "No, I got it. I think it'll be easier if I do it."

They both watched Jasper disappear up the stairs and when they were alone in the foyer, their eyes were drawn to each other.

They spoke at the same time.

"Alice told us that you'd be gone-"

"What's Jasper going to tell-"

They both shifted in their spots.

Edward spoke first. "Alice told us that you'd be coming by to run errands with her, but that you'd be gone by the time we got back. If I had known you were still here-"

Bella shook her head. "It's not a big deal. Don't worry about it."

His shoulders relaxed.

Bella asked, "What was Jasper going to tell Alice that she wouldn't be happy about?"

"Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck. "We went to go pick up and transport this arch they rented for the ceremony, but it's not ready yet."

"Not ready?"

"Apparently, the last client who rented it, still hasn't returned it and has until 5 p.m. to return it. So. . ."

"But, don't they deliver stuff like that? And the ceremony isn't until Saturday."

Edward let out a short breath. He explained that Alice wanted the arch Friday for the rehearsal dinner, but that the rental company wouldn't be able to transport it Friday because they were booked for another event in a venue across town. They could deliver it for an extra fee which upset Alice. She had almost agreed, but Jasper said that he'd take care of it. It was arranged for them to pick up the arch today and bring it to the hotel. It did cost extra to have it a few days early, but Alice wanted to make sure it would get there one way or another, so Jasper obliged. Except now, the arch wouldn't be available until much later.

Edward left out that even though the hotel wasn't charging a storage fee for the arch, it cost more to rent it for an extra two more days than just paying the extra transport fee. Jasper had said that Alice didn't need to know about it and that it was worth the extra money having things done the way Alice wanted it.

Bella said, "Well, that doesn't sound so terrible."

He gave her a small smile. "No, but all of our parents are getting together for dinner tonight, so Jasper won't be able to go pick up the arch."

"Oh." She thought for a second before she said, "I'm sure Emmett can help. He's off work the rest of the day and he's got his truck."

Edward's eyebrow shot up. "That's a good idea. I'll call him."

There was a lull in the conversation and they looked away at each other. Edward was looking at the top of the stairs. "Alice must be taking the news pretty hard."

"I'm sure Jasper will know what to say to calm her down."

There was another lull in the conversation, but this time, they looked at each other and couldn't help smiling.

Edward said, "I know I told you that I'd give you space and. . . well, I hope you don't think I manipulated the situation so that-"

"No, of course not. I don't think that." She hesitated before she said, "This is a nice surprise."

His eyes widened slightly. "So, you're not upset?"

She shook her head. "I mean, I was actually a little nervous about the first time I'd get to see you since. . ." She took in a deep breath. "But, it's been nice."

He took a step forward. "Nice?"

Bella felt her heart skip a beat. "I'm happy I got to see you."

A small smile began to spread across his lips. Before he could say anything, Jasper and Alice descended the stairs.

"It'll be fine, Alice. It'll work out."

"But, Jasper-"

"Alice, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

"But how? We've got that dinner to go to tonight."

Edward cut in and explained that Bella mentioned that Emmett should be free this evening and could help.

Alice's features relaxed. "Really?"

Bella nodded.

"Okay." Alice held up a clipboard and crossed something off.

Bella couldn't help smiling.

"We better get going." Alice kissed Jasper on the cheek. "I'll see you later." Then she was out the door before he could respond.

Jasper chuckled. "I'll be so glad once the wedding is done."

Bella followed Alice. "It was nice seeing you guys." She walked down the steps of the porch, but when she glanced back at the door, she was surprised to see Edward standing there. He looked at her with an expression of uncertainty.

She called out to Alice that she'd be there in a minute. Alice waved and got in the car to wait for Bella.

She climbed back up the stairs and stood in front of Edward.

He looked at her with a surprised expression. "Bella?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I. . . I'm not sure. . ." She licked her lips and took a step forward. She wanted to assure him in some way that she still cared for him, but she wasn't sure how to say it.

She tried again. "Edward." She was starting to lose confidence. Nothing sounded right in her head. Alice beeped her horn which jolted Bella out of her thoughts.

She leaned forward near Edward's ear and whispered, "I missed you." Then she breathed a kiss right below his ear on his neck and turned and hurried to Alice's car.

If she had looked back, she would've seen a very stunned Edward still standing at the door.

Jasper came up behind Edward and clapped him on the shoulder. Edward came out of his shocked state and closed the door.

"Everything alright, Edward?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "She said she missed me. Then she. . . kissed me."

Jasper grinned. "I knew it was a good idea to hurry back."

Edward's eyes widened. "How did you-"

Jasper shook his head. "I didn't, but I knew you wanted to see her."

"I never said-"

He held up his hand. "You didn't have to. When Alice called and I told you she said Bella would be coming over, even the sales agent at the rental place could feel how anxious you were to leave."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Was I that obvious?"

"Transparent."

He laughed.

"So what's your next move?"

He looked at him with a confused expression. "Next move?"

He let out an exasperated breath. "Oh, come on, Edward! She admitted that she missed you. That's practically a confession that she wants to be with you."

"I don't want to read too much into this."

"Edward, please tell me that you will do something."

"I don't want to push her too much. I. . . I told her I'd give her space. That I'd be here when she wanted me."

Jasper groaned in frustration. "So, you're just going to let that pass? You're just going to. . . sit here and wait around?"

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Well, no. I do have to call Emmett to see if he can help me pick up the arch later this evening."

Jasper rolled his eyes up the ceiling. "Oh, thank god for that!"

Originally, Rosalie and Edward were invited to have dinner with them, but then Alice thought it would be better if it were just the parents and the bride and groom. Jasper didn't ask questions, knowing to just go along with Alice's decisions. However, he could now see how providential her decision had been.

Edward shook his head and then proceeded to climb the stairs. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go call Emmett."

"Yes, please do." He shook his head and walked to the kitchen.

Esme was standing in front of the stove, stirring something in a pot. "Everything okay?"

Jasper opened the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. "Yeah. The arch will be picked up later by Emmett and Edward."

"Good, but I meant with Edward and Bella."

Jasper gulped down some of his beer. "I think things are progressing nicely for those two." He hesitated before he told her what Bella said to Edward.

Esme looked up from stirring the pot. "She did? What else?"

He shook his head. "Edward will soon be my brother. You have to let us have our secrets."

Esme placed a hand on her hip. "And I'll soon be your mother-in-law. Whose wrath would you rather face?"

Jasper couldn't help laughing and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. He went on to tell her about the kiss and Edward's plans to see Emmett to help him with the arch.

Esme let out a contented sigh. "Jasper, you will make a fine addition to this family."

He laughed and walked over to the couch. He switched on the television and found an infomercial about a cloth that could soak up liquid more efficiently than a sponge. Jasper really hoped that things worked out for Edward. If not for the sake of Edward's happiness, but for Esme's peace of mind.

* * * * *

After the errands with Alice that afternoon, everything from name cards to wedding favors were brought back to Bella's place to sort through and organize. Rosalie and Bella were put in charge of making sure it was all ready for the wedding. Bella was now searching the guest room for a roll of ribbon that Rosalie said would be there.

Bella pulled out one of the earbuds from her ear that was hooked up to her iPod. "Rose! I can't find the ribbon."

Her voice echoed from downstairs. "Are you sure? I could've sworn there was one more roll."

Bella looked again through all the bags and boxes. "Nope. Nothing." She waited for Rosalie to tell her what to do next, but she heard no reply.

Bella replaced the earbud in her ear and hit the play button. The song switched over to DeBussy's _Claire De Lune_. She couldn't help laughing. She had loaded a new playlist onto her iPod with just instrumental music. Bella wanted to just work on wedding stuff and not obsess over things with Edward, yet somehow this piece made it through and she was flooded with memories of his recital and the morning he asked her why this song was on Mr. Dazzling's playlist.

She went to the bathroom to splash a little cold water on her face. While there, she checked her reflection. Her hair was carelessly wound up in a messy knot and she tucked in a few stray strands behind her ears. When she got home from running errands, she had changed out of her blouse and jeans and into a tank top and athletic shorts. She looked like she was going out for a run, but instead she had been spending her evening putting labels on tiny boxes of chocolate and tying them with ribbon. This task was turning into a marathon of its own.

Bella thought she heard some kind of commotion downstairs, so she took out one of the earbuds again. She listened for a second, but there was nothing. She shrugged and walked back downstairs.

While she descended the steps, Bella said, "Rose, I think we're going to have to get more ribbon. Crap, do you think the store is still-"

She stopped when she got to the living room. She was expecting to see Rosalie and Emmett crowded around the coffee table, working on the wedding favors, but instead Edward stood in the middle of the room.

Bella's forehead wrinkled. "Um, where's Rosalie and Emmett?"

Edward ran his fingers through his hair. "They. . . went out to get the arch and more ribbon."

She was still confused. "Oh."

He shifted in his spot. "I came by to go with Emmett to pick up the arch. When I got here, you told Rosalie there wasn't any ribbon, so she said that she needed to go out and get more." Edward was still stunned by their sudden departure. "Then the next thing I know, Rosalie and Emmett decide that they'd go together and they left before I could say anything."

"That's weird."

"They seemed pretty. . . eager to be alone together."

Bella's face scrunched up. "I guess since I've come back, they've been on their best behavior."

Edward let out a small laugh.

Bella murmured, "This should be an interesting night." She walked around the couch to join Edward.

He had his hands in his pockets and stared at her. It was a minute before he said, "So, I guess I'll be getting back to the house."

Bella looked up at him. "There's probably a bunch of other things to do."

A corner of his mouth pulled up. "Actually, since Jasper and Alice went out to dinner with all the parents, the house is pretty calm at the moment."

"That must be nice." She let out a heavy sigh. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to go back instead of staying here putting labels on little boxes and tying little bows."

He rocked back on the balls of his feet. "I. . . I wouldn't mind staying and helping."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You know you're a masochist."

He sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table and mumbled, "You have no idea."

Bella hesitated before she sat next to him. She didn't think she'd see him again so soon. She was both excited and nervous at the same time. She thought things had gone well earlier, but that was because she had not been required to stay in his presence for very long to say anything that would make things worse.

He turned to her. "So, what do you need me to do?"

_Oh god, _she thought. A million things popped in her mind and all of them had to do with Edward's mouth and his hands. _Stop it, Bella! _She shook her head.

"Bella?"

She cleared her throat. _Pull yourself together! _She had been overcome by the smell of his aftershave. It had a clean, crisp smell. She hadn't noticed it earlier when she kissed him. She realized that he must've put some on before he came over. She shifted in her spot. _What was he expecting to happen?_ She felt like she was losing herself and all that had happened was that she smelled his aftershave.

He repeated, "Bella? Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Sorry. I just. . . um, here." She picked up a petite, gold colored box and a sheet of labels. "One of these stickers goes on the box." Then she reached into a pile of sheer, chocolate colored ribbons and pulled one out. "Then you tie this on."

Bella proceeded to show Edward how to put the label and tie the ribbon. When she was done, she said, "Easy enough, right?"

He shrugged. "Looks like it." He reached over to get another box and Bella passed him a ribbon.

He took one of the labels from the sheet, but Bella placed a hand on his arm. "Now, before you put that on, make sure the cross line on the 'H' is exactly over the lid of the box."

He looked at her as if she were crazy.

She gave him a pointed look. "Those were Alice's specifications."

Edward let out a small laugh.

She turned to face him. "I'm serious. You don't think Alice will check each of these boxes to make sure?"

He was about to say that Alice wouldn't, but based on how she was so focused on every detail, he wouldn't put it past her.

"Okay. Point taken. I'll make sure to get it right." Bella let go of his arm and he went ahead and adhered the label onto the box, but had trouble tying the bow.

Bella inspected his finished work. "You got the label right, but the bow. . ." She smiled. "Well, it's a good thing that you don't have to tie bows in your line of work."

His shoulders rolled back. "It's not that bad."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He looked at it again. Compared to other bows, his looked like a mangled mess. He let out a small laugh. "Okay. So it's not that good, but it was my first try."

"Why don't you put the labels on and I'll tie the bows."

He nodded. "That sounds like a plan."

They worked in silence for a moment and when they got into a groove, Edward asked, "So, how did finals go? How's work?"

"They went really well. One of my professors liked my presentation." She set aside the box she was working on. "I finished up my last shift at the library today."

"I'm glad to hear your finals went well." He passed another box to her. "You're not working at the library anymore?"

She shook her head. "I figured it would be a good motivator to find a grown-up job."

He smiled. "Have you started looking?"

"Sort of." She took the set of completed favors she and Edward finished and put them in a box. "My professor said he was impressed with my presentation and said that he knew someone and could get me an interview somewhere."

Edward stilled his movements for a second and then continued. "Do you know where?"

"It would be here in Seattle. Some software company. It would be in the public relations office."

He nodded and continued working. "That sounds like a good opportunity."

She shrugged. "Nothing's definite. I still have to send over a resume, but I'm not getting my hopes up."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have a lot of on site experience."

"But if your professor liked your work, I'm sure that will work in your favor."

"Maybe."

"Plus, you helped Jasper with that online dating campaign. Jasper really appreciated your help."

"But that wasn't work. I was just giving an opinion."

"Still, it does count as something."

She let out a small laugh. "I suppose." She picked up another box. "So how was your week?"

"Aside from all the wedding stuff and my Aunt Tanya and her family staying with us, it's been okay."

She laughed. "Just okay? I'm sure Alice is keeping you busy."

He shrugged. "I've been helping out a lot, but it's not a big deal. I was actually able to finish my write up."

"Really? That's good. I remember you had been working on it for a while."

He nodded. "I just sent it off today." He let out a short breath. "Maybe now my boss will let up a little."

She looked up at him. "Is he upset?"

He shook his head and smiled. "No. Just anxious. The CDC is interested in my research and I guess they've been inquiring with my boss about it."

Bella continued tying bows. "That sounds pretty serious."

"It's interesting stuff, but. . . it's not everything."

"Um, for all I know, you've probably found a cure for cancer or something."

"Not yet, but it feels like we're getting closer everyday."

Bella stopped mid-bow and stared at Edward with her mouth partly open.

"What?"

"Are you serious? You're close to finding a cure for cancer?"

He gave her an amused expression. "Bella, lots of labs everywhere are focusing on finding a cure. It just happens that my lab. . . is. . . kind of in the lead."

Her eyes widened. She recovered herself and continued tying bows. "Uh. . . that's kind of a big deal, you know?"

Edward continued placing labels on the boxes. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Bella stopped working all together. "Come on, Edward! How can you be so. . . calm about this? Here I thought graduating with another Masters was a big deal. Damn. You're about to find a cure for cancer. Last time I checked, you pretty much win."

Edward stopped what he was doing. "It's not that big a deal. Tomorrow, someone else will probably be one step closer than me and the next day someone else will be even further. So, I have like two minutes of recognition and then it's gone. You learn pretty fast in this field you can't rest on your laurels for very long because there's always someone else whose going to be smarter than you."

Bella picked up a box. "Oh. . . well that. . . sucks."

He laughed. "Yeah."

They worked for a few more minutes until Edward said, "Are there any more of these labels?"

"I think Rosalie had some over here." She had to push herself off the floor and lean over the table to maneuver past a few other boxes before she could get to them. When she did, she picked up the labels and sat back down. She took one of the sheets and turned to hand it to Edward. He had an expression that she couldn't quite understand.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

He cleared his throat and took the offered sheet of labels. "Nothing."

"What was that look for?"

"What look?"

"That look. You were looking at me like. . . I don't know." Suddenly, Bella felt self-conscious. She smoothed down her hair and looked down at herself. In her surprise at seeing Edward, she forgot that she was dressed in one of her running outfits.

"If I knew you were coming over, I'd have changed."

"There's nothing wrong with what you're wearing." He shifted in his spot. "Are those Emmett's shorts?"

She looked down at her burgundy athletic shorts. "No."

"Whose are they?"

"They're mine. Why?"

"They look like guy shorts."

"They are."

He looked at her with a surprised expression.

She rolled her eyes. "Have you seen the running shorts they make for women?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah."

She shook her head. "They don't look comfortable at all. So, I got a couple pairs of guy shorts."

"Oh."

"Rosalie thinks they're hideous."

"I can see why she'd think that."

"Then what's the big deal?"

"It isn't a big deal."

"But you were staring."

"It's just. . ." He shifted in his spot again. "It's been a while since I've seen you in a pair of guy's shorts."

"What are you talking about?"

He shrugged.

Bella continued, "I don't remember wearing guy shorts before."

"It was a long time ago."

"When?"

He hesitated before he said, "Back at our old house in Forks."

"Wait, what?"

Edward focused more attention on putting labels on while he talked. "It was my first year at Washington. I'd come home one weekend. It was late. You were there which I wasn't expecting. I found you in the kitchen and you were wearing a pair of my shorts."

Bella thought for a moment and remembered. "Alice and I had been watching movies until really late and instead of going home like I had planned, she suggested just to sleep over. She was going to lend me some of her pajamas, but. . ." Bella smiled at the memory. "The shorts were way too small, so she found a pair of yours to lend me."

He nodded.

She studied his face, but he kept his eyes down on the favors. "Did that bother you?"

He picked up another box and put it down. He hesitated before he said, "No. I. . . it was a nice surprise."

A small smile pulled up at the corner of her mouth. "Kind of like when you found out I wore your shirt to sleep?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, something like that."

"You know, Rosalie and I just had a conversation about something similar."

"What do you mean?"

"Rosalie was in one of those velour sweat suits and Emmett said he liked her-" She shifted in her spot before she said, "He liked how her clothes accentuated her. . . finer points."

He shook his head. "Of course." He stuck a label on another box. "So, what does this have to do with the shorts?"

"Well, we talked about how guys are totally visual and it doesn't take much to. . . trigger their imagination." She snuck a look at Edward who seemed unusually focused on putting the labels on the boxes. She continued, "Rosalie said that if a guy is really into you, it doesn't take much for them to. . . start objectifying your body."

Edward's eyes widened and he turned to her. "Bella, I-"

She went on. "She said that you could be wearing a burlap sack and that could be enough to feed a guy's imagination for weeks."

Edward shifted in his spot. "I. . . Bella, I hold you in the utmost respect. I don't want you to think that I don't-"

Bella tied a bow on a box. "I do it, too."

Edward was about to finish what he was saying, but at Bella's comment, he looked at her with astonishment.

She saw the expression and shrugged. "What? I do."

He swallowed hard before he asked, "When?"

She shrugged again. "Does it matter?"

"Yes!" He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "I just. . . you always seem so. . . collected."

"It's not easy."

He raised his eyebrows and waited for her to continue.

She busied herself with tying bows, but at Edward's continued silence, she said, "It used to happen a lot in high school."

"Well, we did see each other a lot at that time."

She nodded.

"And?"

"And what?"

"When did it happen?"

Bella let out an exasperated breath. "Football practice."

"Football practice?" Edward thought for a minute. "You mean, while I was practicing?"

She let out a small laugh. "Yes, that was the idea."

"I don't see how-"

"Geez, Edward. There were girls watching every time. I had to get there early to make sure I had a good spot."

"What? Really?"

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

"I thought those were all cheerleaders."

"There were only ten cheerleaders on the team."

His brow furrowed. "So, who were the rest of the girls?"

Bella laughed. "Your groupies."

He shook his head. "No way."

"Okay. Some were for Emmett. Maybe some were for Tyler and Ben, but most of them were there for you."

"But then that would mean. . ." His eyes widened and he cursed to himself. "They were watching _me _that whole time. That's. . . kind of weird."

She gave him a playful smile. "It was worse when you guys played shirts and skins." She almost laughed, but instead bit her lip before she said, "It's a good thing cell phone cameras weren't around then."

He was about to say something, but stopped himself and looked at her for half a minute. Then he said, "So, what was your favorite part of the practice?"

Bella picked up a box. "Um, you?"

He couldn't help grinning. "I kind of got that impression, but. . . sometimes I wasn't in practice for very long. Coach wanted me to save my arm."

"I don't think I can say. It's too embarrassing."

He had stopped working on the wedding favors a while ago, but now he did not even pretend that he was working. "You can't say something like that and not tell me."

"You're just going to laugh."

"I won't laugh."

"It's really silly."

"I won't think so."

She looked at him and his eyes had a mixture of curiosity and anticipation. Bella looked back at the box in front of her and continued tying the ribbon. "I liked it when you guys were just messing around, playing shirts and skins. It was an extra special treat when you didn't play with a shirt." She shifted in her spot, but kept her face down. "The way you snapped the ball back with no shirt on. . ." She cleared her throat. "But, the worse, or maybe the best part of it was when you were calling plays."

He tilted his head to the side, so he could see her face. "Calling plays?"

She kept her eyes trained on the little gold boxes in front of her. "Your voice would get rough and. . . there was this authority and confidence that. . ." She tried to regulate her breathing and after a moment, she said, "It's pretty stupid, huh?"

When he didn't say anything, she looked at Edward and was surprised to see the intensity in his expression. He looked like he wanted to say or better yet do something, but he was holding himself back.

Bella said, "What about you?"

It took him a moment to process the question before he said, "Me?"

She gave him a small smile. "I just confessed a pretty mortifying secret to you. It's your turn."

He straightened up and returned his attention to the favors. "What do you want to know?"

She shrugged. "Anything? Everything? What was it like for you back then?"

It took him a minute to respond. "I guess you could say it was torture that I willingly put myself through."

"Torture?"

"I loved being near you, but it was difficult. . . not. . . acting on my feelings."

"I understand."

He shook his head. "It wasn't just a matter of self-control. I felt like I was going against my instincts. If we were walking together, I wanted to hold your hand. If we were sitting together, I wanted to put my arm around you. If you smiled at me, I wanted to-"

He almost said that he wanted to cover his mouth over hers, but instead he ran his fingers through his hair. "At first, I thought it was hormones. I mean, part of it probably was, but. . . I didn't want to do those things because I expected something in return. I wanted to do those things because I needed to."

Bella stopped what she was doing, but she didn't look up.

He continued, "There was this one time, you wore a skirt." He shifted in his spot. "At this point, I had been trying to keep my distance. I thought I was doing pretty well for myself, but then Alice somehow managed to arrange for all of us to go see a movie. What made it worse, or maybe this was the best part, was that you ended up sitting next to me during the movie."

Bella tried to recall what he was talking about.

"I don't remember what movie we went to see or what anybody said that night. The whole time, I was trying not to stare at your legs. I was fascinated by you and horrified with myself at the same time. If Emmett and Alice weren't with us. . ."

"I remember that."

His eyebrows shot up. "You do?"

"On the way home, we both sat in the back of the car, and I had accidentally bumped into you and you had this look on your face. . ." She let out a small laugh. "I thought I upset you."

He shook his head. "I was feeling so frayed and on edge after having sat next to you for two hours, trying to ignore your legs. To have them brush up against me. . ." He let out another small laugh. "Geez, if we had actually known how we'd felt back then. . . we wouldn't have been able to keep our hands off each other."

Bella let out an awkward laugh. She couldn't deny that and to hear him say it out loud was shocking. In attempt to calm her nerves, she changed the subject and said, "So, what were you thinking about before?"

His brow furrowed. "Before?"

"When I was reaching over for more labels?"

He took one of the ribbons from the pile and played with it. "Uh. . . you know how much a I respect you Bella, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Edward, just tell me."

He threw the ribbon back on to the pile and then leaned back on the couch. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at her for a moment. _Could I really be honest with her?_ he wondered. If he wanted to earn Bella's trust back and prove to her that his feelings were real, then he had to be honest.

Then he said, "I was thinking about how much I like the curve of your back. I also started to wonder if I reached up into your hair, if I could get it to fall past your shoulders." He swallowed hard before he said, "I was imagining. . . how easy it would be to slide the straps of your tank top off your shoulders and. . . I wondered if you'd stop me."

Bella felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest. All she could manage was, "Oh."

He studied her face and saw she had a conflicted expression. "Did I say something to upset you?"

She shook her head. "No. It's just. . ." She looked up at him. "It's one thing to talk about how we felt in high school, but. . . to hear you talk like that. . . I. . . it's hard to believe you still feel that way even now."

He shifted in his spot to face her. "Why?"

She leaned back on the couch and hugged her knees to her chest. "You could say I did a pretty good job convincing myself that the reason why you stopped talking to me was because. . . you didn't care about me anymore. It made so much sense at the time."

She tucked a strand behind her ear. "When you believe one thing for so long. . . it's hard accepting the truth." She looked at him. "I'm trying, but. . . I think it might take me a while.""

"I understand." He looked down at his hands. "Leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life, but making you believe that I didn't care about you. . ." He looked up at her. "It's a transgression that I'll never, ever forgive myself for."

The wrinkles on Bella's forehead softened. "Edward."

He shook his head. " 'Seven years of nothing,' you said. I was undeserving, but during that time, I had the smallest hope that I might have a chance. That's pretty arrogant considering the way I treated you. But, you. . . I hadn't even given you a glimmer of hope. . ." He rubbed his mouth. "I can't even imagine what that would've been like."

"But, I never stopped-" Bella caught herself and let out a short breath. "Even though I believed there wasn't any hope, a part of me still did. I hated myself for it because I thought it was pointless, but after a while, hoping was something I didn't even think about. It had become a part of me like. . . being in love."

They were both leaning back against the couch a few inches away from each other. There was so much said, and yet it did not alleviate any tension between them. In fact, it felt as if what they just revealed only intensified their feelings.

Edward wasn't sure how to proceed. There was no question he wanted her, but she was so vulnerable, he didn't want her to think that he was taking advantage of her. He took her hand and couldn't help smiling when she squeezed back. He pulled her toward him and she rested her head on his shoulder.

They sat together like this for a moment before he said, "I understand that it will take a while for you to accept how I feel, and I want you to know that I'll wait."

Bella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She loved the way he smelled. "Thank you." After a moment, she said, "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

He dragged his thumb across her hand. "Okay."

She didn't lift her head from his shoulder. "It's about that night."

"What-" He caught himself and felt his body tense. "Oh."

"I've never. . . it's never been like that for me."

He buried his nose in her hair. "Me neither."

"I mean, I. . . it was like I was a different person." She leaned closer to him. "It was like I knew what was happening, but I. . . I wasn't in control of myself. I was taken over by this impulse. That probably doesn't make any sense."

He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "No. It does. It was like these instincts kicked in and. . . I couldn't fight it anymore. I didn't want to fight it."

She said, "I've never been so. . . consumed by my feelings like that before. It. . . scares me."

Edward let go of her hand and lifted his arm to put it around her shoulders. "I don't want you to be scared."

Bella tensed at the contact. "Doesn't it scare you?"

He squeezed her shoulder. "No. I. . . I always wondered what it would be like if we. . . it's so much more than I ever imagined. It doesn't scare me." He pulled her closer. "It just means that making love to you is everything that's right."

Bella hadn't lifted her head up until this point. She looked at him for a moment before she said, "I'm not ready to. . . go down aisle three again."

Edward had a soft look in his eyes. "As much as I would very much love to go down aisle three again with you, I'm not expecting to anytime soon."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "It might be a while. . ."

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "You know, once I waited seven years for a girl. . ." He brushed away a strand of hair from her forehead. "She was worth the wait."

She felt her cheeks burn and she smiled.

He wanted to touch his lips to that smile. Edward's expression sobered and he moved an inch away from her. "I. . . I should get back to the house."

He stood up before she could say anything. Bella scrambled to her feet. "Oh, okay."

He shoved a hand in his pocket. "I probably should check to see how my aunt and uncle are doing."

Bella's brow was pinched. "That's probably a good idea."

Edward shifted in his spot. "I should go."

Before Edward turned away, Bella said, "Wait, I wanted to apologize."

Edward looked at her. "For what?"

Bella looked down at her hands folded in front of her. "For punching you."

He couldn't help letting out a small laugh. "Don't. I deserved it."

She looked up and shook her head. "No. I shouldn't have lost my temper." She examined his face. "Did it hurt?"

"I was going to lie to you and say it didn't and you hit like a girl, but. . ." He absently rubbed his face. "You have a vicious right hook."

"I'm sorry." She took a step forward. "I'm Emmett's sister."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. My dad said I was lucky that it didn't bruise much."

Bella's eyes widened. "Carlisle knows I hit you?"

He gave her an apologetic look. "Alice kind of. . . told my parents."

She had a horrified look on her face. She let out a curse and said, "They probably think I'm crazy and I bet they told you to stay away from me."

He laughed. "No. They. . . thought it was amusing."

She shook her head.

He took a step toward her. "I'm fine."

She looked up at him and reached for his face. "I was upset, but that doesn't give me an excuse to hit you."

He tensed at the contact. "It's alright, Bella." He put his hand over her hand that was on his face. "How's your hand?"

"Okay. Remember? I once tore up my knuckles punching a bag once."

He smiled. "So this was nothing."

Her shoulders fell.

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Thank you for knocking some sense into my head."

She couldn't help laughing. Then she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his jaw line where she thought she hit him. "I'm really sorry."

Edward's body stilled at the gesture. He wanted to take her into his arms, but he knew it was probably a bad idea especially after the talk they had about waiting.

Bella pulled away only inches away from his face. "I'm glad the bruise didn't last long."

Edward felt himself getting lost in the depth of her eyes. She looked up at him with such an expression of desire and warmth that he couldn't tear his own eyes away. Before he could stop himself, his lips grazed hers.

He pulled back, realizing what he almost did. "I probably should get going."

His lips were still on hers while he talked. Bella tried not to suck his face off. "Go?" She took a step forward and rested a hand on one of his hips.

"Uh. . ." He was distracted by her proximity. "We probably shouldn't. . ."

It took her a moment to process his words and realize what she was doing. She let go of him. "You're probably right." She took a step back. "It wouldn't be fair and. . ."

He immediately missed her being close to him. His eyebrows shot up at her comment. "Fair? What do you mean?"

"Well, we just talked about taking things slow and. . ." She fidgeted with the hem of her tank top. "I really do. . . enjoy being with you, but I don't think it's fair to say that we shouldn't. . . go down aisle three, but then expect you to. . . put out just a little."

A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips before he said, "Well, maybe we could. . . just look down the aisle and read the sign to see what's there?"

One of her eyebrows arched. "I wouldn't want you to think I'm a tease."

He took a step forward. "Of course not." He reached for her face. "Besides one kiss couldn't hurt, right?"

He could've asked her to do handsprings in the middle of a store and she would've done it. The thought should've alarmed her, but Edward's mouth had covered hers before she could even think about it.

And just like that, she lost herself again.

Edward pulled away. "That was pretty harmless."

She didn't hear anything he said. All that registered that he stopped kissing her, but she knew how to fix that.

Bella leaned in and latched her mouth onto his.

Caught by surprise at the sudden movement, Edward stood still while Bella's body pressed against his. Then one of her hands grasped onto his hip and the other snaked through his hair.

When she pulled back for a second, Edward said, "Bella, we shouldn't-"

She continued her assault on his mouth and with each kiss, Edward couldn't remember why he was holding himself back. He wrapped his arms around her and touched her lips with the tip of his tongue. The small action ignited a frenzy of roaming hands and lips.

Edward fell back onto the couch with Bella. She straddled his lap and they continued their activities with the same urgency. Bella's fingers became tangled in his hair and she pulled his head to the side to shower his neck with kisses. One of Edward's hands slid up her leg and rested on the middle of her thigh just under her shorts. The warmth of his hand on her thigh caused Bella to grind her hips on Edward.

He groaned and flipped Bella on her back onto the couch. He dipped his head down and grazed his lips on her shoulder up her neck, causing her to moan. His voice was rough when he said, "Was there a reason why I'm not supposed to haul you upstairs to your room?"

Bella's breathing was uneven and it took her a moment to understand what Edward asked. When she understood what he was asking, Bella was overcome with guilt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

Edward sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. "Don't apologize."

Bella sat up. "I didn't mean to get so carried away."

"You weren't acting on your own."

She studied his profile, hoping to figure out what he was thinking.

He looked at her. "Please don't look at me like that."

The comment caught of her guard. "Like what?"

He hesitated before he said, "Like you think that was a mistake or that you. . . regret what happened."

She shook her head. "No. I wasn't thinking that at all."

He took her hand. "What were you thinking?"

"That. . . it was really unfair to put you in this kind of position."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "In case you missed it, I actually enjoyed being put in that kind of position."

She couldn't help smiling. "That's not what I meant."

He squeezed her hand. "What did you mean then?"

She looked down at their hands clasped together. "It was like I was saying before when I just totally lost myself and. . . I got carried away with my feelings. I'm scared, but I can't help. . . wanting you. It's unfair to put you in this position when I can't even-"

Edward let go of her hand and turned to face her. "Let me get this straight, the woman I've been in love with is also in love with me. She wants me and all I have to do is touch her and she can't think straight." He gave her a small smile. "What was the problem again?"

Bella felt her face burn. "You have a tendency to over simplify things. I was trying to point out that-"

He reached for her face. "You have the same power of me, Bella."

Her expression softened. "Really? You seem more in control."

He chuckled. "Well, I've had a lot of practice."

"Right." She smiled. "So, what do we do?"

He studied her for a moment before he said, "I'd say that I'll be on my best behavior and I'll keep my hands off you, but. . . I can't promise you that."

Bella's mouth fell open.

"I mean, we'll go as slow as you want and I don't want you to do anything you're not ready to do, but. . ." He gave her a searing look. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not going to hide how I feel anymore." He kissed her temple. "I'm done being the boy scout."

She looked up at him. "Edward, I-"

He kissed her and then pulled away.

Bella blinked several times in surprise.

"Mind over matter," he said.

"What?"

"I figure instead of ignoring my feelings, if I acknowledge them, it'll get easier."

"What'll get easier?"

"Being around you."

Bella felt her stomach flip. Then she gave him a playful smile. "You know, I'm not sure if I'm okay with you. . . taking liberties like this."

They had been sitting on the couch. Bella was facing him with her legs tucked to her side and he was turned toward her. He took her legs so that they draped over his lap and he moved closer.

"I would never take advantage of you." He dipped his head down and his nose traced circles just under her ear.

Bella willed her eyes not to cross. "Spoken like a true gentleman." She bit back a yelp when she felt his lips brush down her neck.

He lifted his face to hers. "Always," he cupped her cheek and kissed her, "but I do know my limits, and I probably really should go."

She didn't bother hiding the disappointment in her voice. "You're probably right."

He couldn't help letting out a small laugh. "You know when you say it like that, it just makes me want to stay."

"Well, you could help with the favors until Rose gets back."

He gave her a warm smile. "Ah, using your powers already." He released her and Bella moved off the couch and sat back on the floor. He sat next to her.

She picked up a box. "Powers?"

"I told you I can't say no to you."

She laughed. "So, if I said you had to stay the rest of the night, you would?"

"Without hesitation."

She looked at him and he was still putting labels on the boxes. _How could he be so normal about this?_ she wondered.

As if reading her mind, he asked, "What?"

"But, just a minute ago, you were ready to leave."

"Yes, but I was trying to do the right thing."

"But staying the night wouldn't be."

"No, and I would never impose myself on you like that, but if you asked me to stay. . ."

"But wouldn't staying here the rest of the night be difficult for you?"

"Yes." A small smile played on his lips before he said, "But who's to say that it wouldn't be difficult for you either?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. After a minute, she said, "Point taken."

They talked like this for the rest of the evening. It was such new territory for both of them to be able to talk so freely about their feelings. It was both liberating and reassuring at the same time.

When Rosalie and Emmett did return a few hours later, they were surprised to see Edward still there and that he and Bella were talking as if the tumultuous events of the past weekend didn't happen.

Rosalie sat on the floor across from them at the coffee table. "We thought we'd find Edward with the crap beaten out of him when we got here."

Bella laughed and Edward narrowed his eyes at Rosalie.

Emmett returned from the kitchen with a beer. "Actually, Rosalie and I had a bet going. I thought Bella was going to end up punching Edward again, but Rosalie thought-" His expression sobered and he cleared his throat.

Bella asked, "What?"

Emmett shot Rosalie a look. "Nothing."

Rosalie grinned. "I thought if you weren't fighting, you guys would be bare ass naked, making up for lost time."

Edward looked at Rosalie with disbelief and Bella kept tying bows.

"Anyway." Emmett glared at Rosalie who merely shrugged. "We're glad that we didn't come back to either of those scenarios. In fact, it seems that things are. . . okay between you guys."

Bella didn't look up from what she was doing. "We've come to an understanding."

Rosalie finished putting on a label on a box. "What kind of understanding?"

"We're trying to keep our hands off each other."

Emmett choked on his beer.

Bella continued, "Until I've. . . learned to accept Edward's feelings."

Rosalie ignored Emmett's sputtering and cut in. "Oh, that's very. . . practical of you."

Emmett sat up. "There's nothing wrong with being practical."

Rosalie looked at Emmett. "You're right. Maybe I should follow Bella's lead and be more practical about my feelings, too."

Emmett held up his hand. "What a minute-"

Bella said, "You guys, we're not discussing this anymore."

Edward let out a sigh of relief.

Emmett brooded over his beer while the others continued to work on the wedding favors.

After a moment, Rosalie said, "I just have one more thing to say." She pushed through before Emmett could stop her. "Bella, you've known Edward for most of your life and there's a part of you deep down that knows that he's always cared for you."

Bella looked up from what she was doing and Edward shifted in his spot.

She continued, "So, when you think about it, there actually isn't that much you have to learn to adjust to."

Bella continued to listen.

"The feelings you have for Edward aren't new either. I think what probably scares you is that you get to act on those feelings now."

Bella picked up a ribbon, but didn't go back to work.

Rosalie leaned forward. "And you can't be practical about feelings like those."

Emmett said in a warning tone, "Rose."

She narrowed her eyes at him before she said, "You just have to embrace those feelings and if it leads to glorious, mind-blowing-"

Emmett sat at the edge of his seat. "Rose! You're talking to my sister."

"And someone needed to have this talk with her, like, five years ago."

"She's doing fine on her own."

"I never said she wasn't. I'm just telling her that it's okay to be a little confused when she wants to jump Edward-"

Emmett groaned.

She continued, "But if she just lets thing progress naturally without over-analyzing stuff, everything will turn out fine."

Emmett looked at Edward, imploring him to make Rosalie stop.

Edward was both horrified and intrigued with what Rosalie was saying. He didn't like that he and Bella's love life were the main topic, but he also hoped that what Rosalie said was reaching Bella.

It was Bella who said, "Thanks, Rosalie. I appreciate it." Then she looked at Emmett. "You know, you better not mess things up with her. She'd be really nice to have as a sister."

Emmett threw his head back and let out another tortured groan. Then he stood. "I need another beer. Edward, you want to join me?"

"Sure." He gave Bella a kiss on the cheek before he got up and followed Emmett to the kitchen.

When they left, Bella saw that Rosalie gave her an expectant look.

"What?" she asked.

Rosalie shrugged. "I guess you guys really had a nice. . . talk while we were out."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Things are okay for now."

Rosalie had a pleased expression on her face.

"What's that look for?"

Rosalie shook her head. "What? Can't I be happy for my boyfriend's sister?"

Bella smiled. "Aw. You called Emmett your boyfriend."

She let out small laugh. "Yeah, but don't tell him I said that. I need to keep him on his toes."

Bella laughed.

"The same could be said about Edward."

Bella's heart flipped in her chest. "You mean, calling Edward my boyfriend?"

"Well, isn't he?"

"Um, we haven't talked about that."

She shook her head. "Oh, trust me. He is."

Bella felt her cheeks burn. "Isn't it kind of too soon to be assuming that he-"

"Bella, he probably made that assumption when you guys had sex."

"Rosalie!"

"It's a territorial thing."

She couldn't help laughing, but feeling a little giddy and nervous at the same time. Bella was just starting to accept that Edward was in love with her and the idea of him being her boyfriend added another sense of permanence that surprised her. She knew that Rosalie was right and that it was quite possible that Edward already thought of himself as her boyfriend.

At the beginning of the day, she had no idea that there would be so many revelations. She was expecting to maybe see Edward, but this went beyond anything she imagined.

Bella was sure of three things. First, that she and Edward were deeply in love. Second, that she never wanted to be without him again. Third, that being practical about being in love was starting to sound like a ridiculous idea.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Well, I hope their reunion was worth the bit of angst. They still have some stuff to work through, but they are making progress. I thought this would be a good place to put the story on pause. I'm going on a temporary posting hiatus for a while to finish writing the story. It's very close to the end (4 chapters away give or take) and I don't want to lose my momentum and I want to keep writing without having to stop to post. I've already written chapter 16 and part of 17 too. I'll post the progress of the writing of my story on my profile page to let you guys know how it's going. (Or you could join the thread over at twilighted(dot)net in the All-Human Forums if you want to ask about the story.) When I'm done writing, I hope to post more regularly.

Have faith. I'm not giving up on this story. The end is near!

Thank you all for the fabulous reviews. You guys are so thoughtful and sweet. Thank you so much for reading and giving my story a chance.

Special thanks to spotzle and vjgm for their epic beta skills. If you guys haven't read anything by them (which I can't imagine no one has at this point), you must go now and read!

I hope you guys have a wonderful holiday and a fabulous new year!

XO

Jenn


	16. Chapter 16: Wanted

**Quick Recap:** Bella returned from her finals to be faced with a brotherly talk with Emmett and also her first encounter with Edward since their falling out at the cabin. She had not expected to see him so soon, but she was pleased none the less and they had their first honest discussion about their feelings. They decided it was best to take the physical aspect of their relationship slowly while they got to know each other in this new light.

Author's Note at the end b/c I know you guys really want to start reading. :)

Note: +12,000 word count

***** There is a lemony scene in this chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter 16 "Wanted"**

_Love will remain a mystery _

_But give me your hand and you will see _

_Your heart is keeping time with me _

_What a feeling in my soul _

_Love burns brighter than sunshine _

_It's brighter than sunshine _

_Let the rain fall, I don't care _

_I'm yours and suddenly you're mine _

_Suddenly you're mine _

"Brighter Than Sunshine" by Aqualung

Bella forced herself to walk at a slower pace. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet and she and Alice weren't scheduled to go to the dress shop until nine-thirty. She stood in front of the Cullens' front door for a minute before she gave it a light knock.

She regretted the action immediately and turned to go wait in her car, but the door opened.

"Bella?"

She turned to see Jasper in the doorway.

She hesitated before she gave him a small smile. "Uh, morning."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "I thought you and Alice didn't have to be at the dress shop until-"

Bella held up her hand. "Yeah. I'm a little early. Look, I can just come back."

His brow creased. "Since you're here already, you might as well come in."

She shifted in her spot. "Well, everyone's probably still asleep and I didn't want to-"

He waved a hand at her, dismissing her comment. "Come in. Don't worry about it."

Bella took in a deep breath before she walked through the front door. She stood in the foyer, hoping to hear morning activity, and was a little surprised that the house was so quiet.

As if reading her thoughts, Jasper said, "We all got in a little late from dinner last night with my parents. Everyone's still asleep. Well, Aunt Tanya is up with the baby of course."

"Right." She couldn't help smiling at the fact that Jasper had been so easily assimilated into their household. "How come you're not asleep like everyone else?"

He shrugged. "I've always been a morning person."

Bella looked in the direction of the kitchen and family room. "Well, I guess I should wait. . ."

A corner of Jasper's mouth pulled up, but he was quick to push the smile down. "I'm sure Edward wouldn't mind if you-"

She shook her head. "I couldn't. He left my place pretty late last night and-" She stopped and felt her cheeks burn. "Not that anything happened. We just-talking and then we-" She gulped. "We fell asleep together on the couch."

Jasper gave her a good natured smile. "I'm sure Edward wouldn't mind losing some sleep if it meant getting to see you before you left with Alice for the dress shop."

Her eyes widened and she was sure her face was red now. Her mouth opened and closed before she stammered, "I wasn't going to- I mean, I was hoping to see him, but I-"

Jasper shook his head and pointed up the stairs. "Go. Now. You know where his room is."

"But-"

Jasper was already on his way to the kitchen. But over his shoulder he said, "Oh, and you might want to lock the door once you're in. Alice tends to just barge in sometimes."

She stood in the foyer with her mouth open. She had hoped to see Edward before leaving with Alice, but Jasper made it sound like she had been planning to molest Edward in his sleep.

She trudged up the stairs feeling a little miffed at the implication. Last night, was a big step in. . . whatever it was that was happening between them and they had decided that they would take things slowly. Rosalie had filled her head with the idea that Edward was her boyfriend, but he never actually said he was.

She had done too much assuming in the past and she didn't want to fall back in the habit. Bella decided that she wanted to take things one step at a time.

Last night after Emmett and Rosalie went to bed, Edward stayed and they talked more about high school and their lives away from each other. It was both enlightening and bittersweet at the same time. She loved learning about Edward's life in California, but she couldn't help feeling like she wanted a place in that life, too.

They fell asleep on the couch. He had enveloped her in his arms and their legs were tangled together. The reason why they were still not asleep on her couch was because Bella had been startled awake by a neighbor's car alarm blaring at two in the morning.

Edward was a bit groggy, but he assured her that he was okay to drive and gave her a kiss on her forehead before he left.

Bella was quite pleased with how the evening ended. She felt like she understood Edward a little better. She wasn't happy with his decision to leave, but it didn't leave a sore spot as it had before.

She wasn't sure why Jasper's knowing attitude bothered her. She knew there was no incompatibility in the chemistry department of what was going on between her and Edward. In fact, she knew that that was one area where she didn't have to worry about at all.

She just wanted something more than just a consuming attraction and she hoped that they were moving in that direction. She knew she shouldn't care what other people thought of them, but she couldn't help wanting her relationship with Edward to be seen as something lasting. She wanted something that went beyond just the physical gratification one person could give another.

She stood in front of Edward's door for half a minute contemplating whether or not she should go in. She impatiently rubbed her forehead and let out a short breath. She knew she was over thinking things and that she was just being silly worrying about how other people perceived their relationship.

She turned the door knob, letting herself in without making too much noise. When she shut the door, she hesitated before she locked it like Jasper told her to. Then she turned and was totally unprepared for what she saw next.

Edward's clothes were strewn on the floor. He was in bed, but the covers just reached his waist and he was asleep on his stomach, hugging a pillow under his head.

At first glance, it was seemingly innocent. But, Edward's tousled hair and bare back reminded Bella of _that_ night.

It was after the third or maybe the fourth time they had made love that night. She couldn't remember, but she had woken up looking for him and she found him just like this laying next to her.

Bella shook her head, clearing her mind of that night. She walked toward the bed, unable to fight the familiar warmth spreading through her body.

She sat on the side of the bed and reached out to touch his hair, but was quick to pull her hand back. Not even a minute ago, she was put out by Jasper's insinuations that she wanted to take advantage of Edward, and here she was thinking if he still liked it when she threaded her fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck.

He was the only who could get her to go from nothing to full on lust in less than thirty seconds. She let out a deep sigh which caused Edward to stir.

One of his eyes cracked open. "Bella?"

Bella's eyes widened. "Um, yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

His eyes were barely open, but he gave her a sleepy smile. "I was just dreaming of you and now here you are."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't dream."

His smile dimmed and it was replaced by a confused expression. "Wait, so it happened?"

Her brow wrinkled. "What happened?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "The meadow. Me and you together."

She blinked several times. "What do you mean together?"

He still had a tired expression in his eyes, but he gave her a slow smile. "You want me to tell you?"

She shifted, so that she was facing him. "Of course I do."

He moved the pillow back to the head of the bed and moved over. "I will, if you lay next to me."

"Edward, just-"

He wore an inviting expression on his face and patted the empty spot next to him.

She rolled her eyes, but she really couldn't work up being annoyed. The fact that he actually had a dream about them made her feel giddy. She squashed the feeling and tried to appear calm when her inner love-struck self was already in bed wrapped around Edward.

Bella slipped off her shoes, laid on her back, and turned her head to face him. "So, what were we doing in the meadow?"

His eyes darkened. "We were. . . playing checkers."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Checkers?"

Edward let out a small laugh at the look of disappointment on Bella's face. He moved closer to her and dipped his face so that his nose nuzzled the line of her jaw. "Mm-hm," he hummed and then his hand slid under the hem of her shirt. He spread his palm on her stomach and his thumb moved back and forth in a lazy motion. "Strip checkers."

When Edward nudged her face with his nose, she turned her face away and she felt his lips form a smile when he pressed them onto her collarbone. She tried to keep her breath steady. "I-I've never heard of strip checkers before."

He trailed slow kisses on her neck and when he reached her collarbone, he breathed another kiss and said, "You were winning."

She let out a giggle and was about to say that he was probably letting her win, but stopped when she felt the warmth of his hand move over her stomach. Then she felt his thumb deliberately graze the bottom of her bra.

Bella forced the words out. "You probably. . . were losing on purpose."

He laughed into the crook of her neck, the warmth of his breath causing Bella to shiver. He muttered, "On purpose," and then flicked his thumb over her bra again.

She bit her lip, stifling the moan that was in her throat. The movement of his thumb was like a teasing lick over her nipple.

"Have you-have you ever. . ." It was hard concentrating with Edward's hand cupping her breast.

One of his legs wedged in between hers. "What?"

She willed her eyes not to close when she felt the tip of his tongue swipe the bottom of her ear lobe before he closed his mouth over it. She stammered, "Have you ever-ever played strip checkers before?"

"No." In a low voice he asked, "Are you offering?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was just wondering. . ."

He pulled his face away and looked at her. "Wondering about?"

Now that he stopped his assault on her body, she was able to think a little clearly. "I was wondering. . . how experienced are you?"

His brow furrowed. "I told you that I've been with two people."

"I know, but. . ." She felt the beginnings of a blush creeping on her cheeks. "Did you mean you were with Gianna twice or that there was someone else besides Gianna?"

Both of his brows shot up at the question. He let go of her, pulled away, and sat up.

Bella regretted asking. She hadn't meant to ruin the moment. He was so different than last night. She'd never seen him so. . . lustful. It was a completely new side of him that she found both intriguing and exciting. She wondered if this was how Edward was with the general female population.

And if he was, she was sure he left quite a number of panting women in his wake.

She sat up and turned to face him. "I didn't mean to-"

He dragged his fingers through his already messy hair. "It's alright. You do have a right to know if. . . we're moving in that direction."

She waited for him to continue.

He let out a short breath. "It was right before I transferred to Berkeley. She was a lab partner." He reached down and took Bella's hand. "We'd become good friends. We got along really well. We hung out outside of lab a few times, but they weren't like dates or anything."

He lifted her hand and brought it to his lap, stroking the top part with his thumb. "Then my professor announced that Dr. Pruisner was teaching at Berkeley. After class, he pulled me aside to tell me that if I wanted to go, he'd give me a recommendation."

He sat back on his headboard, but he didn't let go of Bella's hand. "I told her about it and she was happy for me and encouraged me to take the opportunity. But, I wasn't sure if I could make that kind of decision. I didn't know if I could leave." Then he said softly, "Again."

He looked down at their hands held together. "I talked to my parents about it and my dad was happy for me." He smiled at the memory of Carlisle practically whooping over the phone. "I thought I should probably do it. So, I told my professor that I wanted to apply to Berkeley and from there, everything just took off."

"But there was a part of me that felt like it might be a mistake. Then I heard that you had decided to attend UW." He looked at her with such sorrow. "I was. . . eager to see you again, but also relieved that I was leaving. I wasn't sure if I could face you."

Bella looked down at her lap.

"There was a party the day before I was leaving for Berkeley. I was still considering the idea of staying. I wasn't sure if you even wanted to see me anymore, and I knew I didn't have any right to expect anything from you especially after having ignored you for so long."

He tugged at her hand and she looked up at him. "I did want to see you again, but I. . . felt that it was too late for us."

He let go of her hand and rested his forehead in his palm. "That night at the party, my friend, she. . . told me how she felt about me. She never said she loved me, but it was obvious her feelings were very strong. She said she was happy that I got such a great opportunity, but that she didn't want me to leave without knowing how she felt." He remembered the depth of hope in her eyes. "I was stunned and also overcome with this sense of regret that she had more conviction in her feelings for me than I did for you. I came to this realization that you probably didn't want to have anything to do with me."

Bella placed her hand on his arm. "Edward-"

"Bella." He covered her hand with his. "You're probably not going to like what I'll say next."

She looked at him, trying to convey that she wanted to hear it all.

"We weren't drunk or anything like that, so we knew exactly what was happening. She wanted one night with me and I wanted. . . a reason to stay." He watched her expression closely to see if she was disgusted or disappointed in what he was saying, but when her expression remained the same, he continued.

"I figured if I had a reason to stay. . . then I'd get to see you." He cringed at the admission, but Bella waited for him to continue. "I figured if I was with someone else, it would be alright. It was a lie that I was almost willing to accept just to be near you again."

Bella was filled with so many emotions. Hurt and betrayal were among them, but the most prominent was sadness. Overwhelming sadness. She couldn't be angry at him because she understood him. Too well.

She asked, "So what happened?"

Edward couldn't look at Bella. He wanted to tell her that being with that woman was nothing special, but it was. If anything, the experience taught him tenderness and consideration. It also shattered the deception he was willing to live. He respected his friend too much to deceive her and continue such an intimate relationship with her especially when he really wanted to be with someone else.

He took a deep breath and let it out. "I learned that I couldn't lie to my friend or myself. She deserved much more than that. We were able to part as friends, but I knew she was disappointed that it would never be something more." Edward blamed himself for letting it happen. He hated that he had such a moment of weakness.

Bella took his hand. "What was her name?"

"Bella, I don't know if-"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. It's not like I'm going to hunt her down and rip her head off."

He let out a small laugh. "Her name is Victoria."

She nodded.

"I still hear from her from time to time. She works in a lab in Boston studying aggressive viruses."

"Oh." She shifted in her spot.

"She's also engaged. His names is James."

She looked up at him. "I'm glad she was able to find someone."

After a moment, he asked, "Are you upset?"

Her brow wrinkled. "Why would I be upset?"

He looked at her with an incredulous expression. "I just admitted to you that I used someone for sex."

She shook her head. "No one used anyone. If anything, I think you both got what you needed at the time." She looked at him for a moment before she said, "I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

He stared at her with his mouth partly open.

"What?"

He closed his mouth and then said, "Well, it's just. . . you're being a lot more understanding than most women would be. I think other women would be yelling and crying at this point." A corner of his mouth pulled up. "I expected you to punch me or make it nearly impossible for me to walk for a while."

She couldn't help laughing. "That was one time." She shook her head. "Besides, I can't really be upset at you for what happened. We weren't together or even talking to each other at the time. And. . . I really do understand how you felt." She hesitated before she said, "You needed someone. I don't see what's wrong with needing someone."

He studied the profile of her face. At first he thought she wasn't looking at him because she was more upset than she was letting on, but there was something else in her expression he couldn't quite place. It was almost like she was hiding something.

He processed her words and understanding hit him. "Is that what happened with Jared?"

The question made her feel like the air was knocked out of her lungs. She had broached the subject the other day with Angela when she had her breakdown, but after that, she vowed not to dwell on it. Now, with Edward asking about it, she knew she couldn't bury it away. He had told her about Victoria and she realized he had a right to know about Jared.

She hugged her knees to her chest and nodded. Then she said, "When I found out that you left for Berkeley, it was senior year all over again. When you hadn't returned any of my messages or emails, I figured if I went to UW, there was no way you could avoid me anymore. Then you left before I even had a chance to see you again."

She rested her chin on the top of her knees. "Alice told me how excited your parents were about the opportunity you had been given. I knew I shouldn't be hurt, but I just felt like it just further cemented the fact that I was clearly no longer a part of your life anymore. I realized that you really had moved on and I needed to as well."

She bit her lower lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I had just started the new semester and it was a lot more demanding than I thought it'd be especially since I had a full schedule. I was walking through the Student Union to get lunch when I heard a piano. It was _Claire de Lune._ For a moment, I thought it was. . ." She looked up at him, but he waited for her to continue.

"But as I listened, it was different. It was. . . so light. I don't know if that makes sense, but I was drawn to it and I followed the sound. It was from one of the practice rooms. He hadn't shut the door all the way. I pushed it open and just stood there. Hearing the music, I just. . ." Bella laid her head sideways and closed her eyes. "School gives you a false sense of time passing. I thought I was over you, but hearing the music, I wanted him to be you so badly."

She continued talking with her eyes closed, replaying the memory in her mind. "I didn't even realize he stopped playing until he turned around and looked at me." The image of his messy blonde hair and shocked blue eyes brought a small smile to her face. "I asked him if I could just sit and listen and he nodded and moved over on the bench for me to sit."

She opened her eyes to see Edward looking at her with an intense expression of longing and regret. She hesitated before she said, "That's how it started. I'd go and listen to him at lunch between classes. He was really good, but it wasn't the same." In a low voice, she said, "But, he was close enough."

She rested her chin on her knees again. "We really got along well. I thought maybe I could. . . be with him. But I wasn't sure if he liked me that way. He was always. . . careful around me."

She realized even Jared could probably tell how lost she seemed. "He was playing something silly on the piano and I just kissed him. He was surprised, but after a minute he went back to playing and then asked if I wanted to go to a movie."

"Eventually, we saw each other more often outside of the practice room and it was nice. I felt like I was a part of something." She took a deep breath. "But then I wanted more"

She hugged her knees closer. "I think maybe Jared did want me in his own way, but. . . I never got the feeling that he _really_ wanted me." She bit her lip and then said, "I thought maybe if we. . . things would change. We'd be closer, but. . ."

She looked at him. "How do you make love with someone, and still feel desperately lonely each time?"

She felt so foolish for admitting that much. She tried to block out the memories of the nights she laid next to Jared while he slept after they had made love. He was gentle and sweet, but after a while she realized he didn't _want_ her.

Edward pulled Bella to him and enveloped her into his arms. He reached up and stroked the back of her neck with his fingers. He wondered how anyone could not be consumed by her? If he hadn't left, he would've worshiped her and given her no cause to doubt that she was wanted. He hated himself for causing this kind of pain. She suffered like this for the last seven years. Could he fix this? Would she trust him enough to let him?

He let go of her and looked at her. "Will you give me just a minute? Stay here."

She blinked several times and then nodded.

Edward slipped out of bed and searched his room for his pajama bottoms. Bella could not help staring at his red striped boxers. He pulled his pants up and turned. He grinned at the lustful way she stared at him. "I'll be right back. Don't leave."

She nodded again. She wondered what was so urgent he had to leave and then why he was so insistent that she stay in his room. She looked at the clock on his night stand. It was a quarter to nine and she wondered if Alice was awake and ready to go yet. She hoped Alice was still in the shower or something.

Edward returned just a few minutes later. He looked harried, but wore a smile on his face.

Bella said, "Is Alice awake yet? I'm sure she's going to call to make sure I'm on my way."

He walked over to the bed. "I told her you were here with me."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What did she say?"

"She said I had to give you up at 9:15."

"Oh." She was a little surprise that Alice wasn't trying to herd themselves out as soon as possible.

"That doesn't give us a lot of time, but I'll just have to make the most of it." He was talking more to himself, then to Bella.

"Make the most of what?"

She was sitting on his bed cross legged. He moved to the empty spot next to her. Then he said, "Come here."

She moved next to him, so that their hips were touching.

He shook his head and said, "No, on my lap."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's not like you've never sat there before." He took her hand and pulled her toward him.

She swallowed hard before she moved and straddled him. Even though it was true that she had sat on his lap just last night like this, she still felt a little self conscious about it. She wasn't used to being on top.

And as if reading her mind, he cupped her face and said, "I love looking up at you like this."

In reaction to his words, her heart beat faster and her legs tightened on either side of him. He looked up at her with such a warm expression in his eyes that she could feel a part of her melt.

He said, "I was trying to think of what to say to convince you that I'll always want you without sounding corny, but. . . there aren't any words."

Bella's breath hitched at the last phrase. He had said them whenever he seemed overcome by something and he'd kiss her instead. But at the time, she thought he was just being chivalrous. Now, seeing the expression in his eyes, she realized he was overcome with his feelings and he couldn't express them.

Until now.

He said, "I know you're not ready, but I want to show you. Just a little." He grazed the apple of her cheek. "Just a little of how much I want you."

Her stomach flipped and all she could do was nod.

He reached up with one hand and tangled his fingers into the hair above the nape of her neck. He ran his other hand up and down the side of her arm.

He asked in a low voice, "Do you remember that day you asked me to come out with you guys to the cabin?"

The way he gently massaged her scalp and rubbed her arm made her body relax. "Yes."

He gave her a small smile. "I was thinking about you before you found me on the patio."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You said you were looking up work emails."

His smile grew wider. "I can multi-task." He leaned up and trailed a line with his lips up her neck to her ear. "I was thinking about when you put your lips on mine."

The path he traced on her neck felt like an electrical trail. She turned her face to touch his lips, but he pulled away.

Her brow wrinkled in confusion.

"This is about me showing you how much I want you." He looked up at her with a determined look.

"But I-"

He cupped her face. "Be still. Don't interrupt."

She'd never seen him so intent on something before. Her heart beat faster, partly because of nerves, but mostly a secret thrill shot through her.

She gulped and nodded.

He took his hand off her face and returned it to the nape of her neck. "You have no idea how such a small gesture could affect me." He brushed his lips on the line of her jaw. "Before you came in, I was thinking about how soft your lips were. If I'd ever get a chance to taste your mouth." He breathed a kiss on the spot below her ear.

"Sitting on the bench next to you was torture. When you took your sweater off, your arms and neck were bare." He dipped his head down, so that his lips grazed her collarbone. "I wanted to swim in all of that creamy looking skin."

She couldn't help letting out a soft moan when she felt the tip of his tongue dart out and taste her skin. Then the hand that was on her arm slid down her side, past her hip and thigh, and rested on her knee.

He spoke while still keeping his mouth on her collarbone. "You kept nudging me with your knees every time you made a point." He squeezed her knee which caused her to jump. "Who ever heard of knees driving someone crazy before?"

His other hand that was drawing circles on the nape of her neck reached into her hair and gently tugged her head to the side. He nipped at the bottom of her earlobe. "The cabin was where I realized exactly how much I wanted you."

Bella's mind felt thick and her senses were so heightened that it was a battle trying to keep up with what he was saying, but she did because she wasn't sure if she'd ever get to hear him be so honest again.

She barely managed to say, "What do you mean?"

He smiled against her neck. "It was that damn red bikini."

Bella thought for a second. The last time she wore that red bikini was when she was sixteen years old. Even though he said that he was attracted to her back in high school, it was still such a shock to hear him voice those desires now.

He pulled away from her and gave her a mischievous look. "I don't think you'll ever know how much strength it took not to go out onto that patio when you were sunbathing." He took hold of the hem of her shirt and pulled upwards.

Bella raised her arms, more than willing to let him take her shirt off. She should've been concerned that they were crossing the line of taking it slow, but at that moment, she couldn't think of any reason why they should stop.

He placed both of his hands on her hips and lifted her off his lap. Her navel was eye level with him and he traced circles around her belly button with his lips before lightly peppering her stomach with kisses. She steadied herself by placing her hands on his shoulders, but her head tilted back and she let out a low moan.

He whispered against her ribs, "I always imagined what it would be like to do this. I thought your skin would be soft and smooth, but it's more than that." He breathed kisses against the contours of her body, tasting her. "Your so warm and your skin. . . it's sweet."

He lowered her back down on his lap and was met by the sight of her breasts. He groaned at the sight of her simple white bra. He kissed her in between breasts and over the swells of her breasts.

"So warm. . ." He mumbled. Then he looked up at her and nuzzled her bra.

She reached up and threaded her fingers in his hair. "Edward."

He lifted his head up and took her face between his hands. "Hold still."

He leaned forward and took her top lip between his and repeated the same action on her bottom lip. Her breathing was unsteady, but she was keeping still for him. He leaned forward again, kissing her the same way except this time he lingered longer, applying gentle pressure and alternating from the top to the bottom. He took his time, savoring the feel and taste of Bella's lips. He didn't want her to have any doubts of how desirable she was. With each kiss, he hoped she felt how much he wanted her.

When he felt the tip of her tongue touch his lips, he pulled away. "I told you to hold still."

She was breathing heavy. "I couldn't help it. I want-"

He covered his mouth over hers. After a moment, he said, "I told you, I want to show you-"

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I know I'm dense, but I get it. Now can we-"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not doing these things so that we can make love." He looked at her with an intensity that had Bella looking at him with wide eyes. "I'm trying to show you, to get you to understand how I feel about you. Everything I showed you, this is what goes through my mind when I'm near you. You make me feel this way. I'm just trying. . . I'm hoping that you understand that I'll always want you. I can't just turn it off."

He raked one of his hands through his hair. "I don't want you to ever feel lonely when you're with me. There's no reason to be."

Bella looked at him with a stunned expression. After a moment, she dropped her hands from his neck and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Will you please continue?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "I don't know. I've kind of lost the moment."

Her face fell. "Please."

He chuckled. He never could say no to her. "So, you're going to let me kiss you without interfering?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

He couldn't help laughing, but Bella didn't care. His kisses were worth the humiliation of wanting more of them.

He took her face between his hands again and resumed his slow, deliberate assault on her mouth again. Instead of getting caught up with her own feelings, Bella concentrated on the way Edward kissed her. He was gentle and thorough, but one of his hands fell away from her face and rested on one of her hips. She felt him tighten his hold on her, but his kisses remained tender and slow.

She realized that he was holding himself back and really trying to show her that even though he wanted her, he was also capable of showing her how much he cared about her too.

The realization caused her to moan in his mouth.

The hand that was still on her face tilted her head sideways which enabled him to deepen his kiss. His tongue massaged hers with deliberate strokes and when Bella thought she couldn't take anymore, he withdrew his tongue from her mouth and continued to kiss and take in her top and bottom lip. It allowed Bella to catch her breath, but then the need to have more of him built up again.

As if reading her mind, or reading her body, he'd deepen the kiss again in the same measured and thorough way.

He would kiss her like this alternating between her lips and tongue, but always keeping the same unhurried pace. It was the complete opposite of _that_ night before they made love. She had never been kissed with such attention. It was maddening and exquisite at the same time.

Eventually, he pulled away from her. He rested his forehead on hers. Both of them were out of breath.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"That was the best kiss I've ever had in my life."

He chuckled. "Me, too."

She smiled and buried her face in the crook of his neck and he wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed circles on the skin of her lower back.

After a moment, she said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me understand. If there's anything else you want to explain, I'll be more than happy to listen."

He laughed and shook his head. After a moment, he said, "I do have a lot to make up for."

She had her hand on his chest. "I think this makes up for it."

He shook his head. "It doesn't even come close."

She lifted her head up to look at him and waited for him to continue.

"This doesn't even cover your skirts or the fact that you sleep in my t-shirt and your underwear."

She couldn't help laughing.

There was a knock at the door and Alice's voice carried through it. "Uh, Bella? I moved our appointment back at the dress shop, but. . . it's in fifteen minutes now."

Bella looked at the clock and saw that it was a quarter to ten. "I'll be right there, Alice."

"Okay."

Bella moved to get off Edward's lap, but he held her in place.

"Edward, I have to go."

"How long will it take?"

She smiled. "I don't know. Not very long, I think."

"Will you be coming back here?"

She looked down. "I'd like to."

He tipped her chin up. "I'll be here."

Her smile turned into a grin and she moved to find her shirt, but he held her in place again.

"Edward! I really have to-"

He crushed his lips onto hers. There was an urgency in this kiss that the others did not have.

He pulled himself away and in a low voice he said, "Hurry back."

She still had her eyes closed when she was nodding.

He laughed and released her.

Bella tore herself away and found her shirt next to Edward's. She slipped it on and went to the door. Before she closed it, she turned around to see Edward still leaning on the headboard, his hair completely disheveled, giving her a crooked smile.

Her face cracked into a wide smile. "I'll see you later."

She shut the door and walked down the stairs. Alice was waiting at the bottom. She giggled at the sight of Bella's goofy expression and messy hair.

"What?" she asked.

Alice shook her head. "Nothing. Come on."

Bella floated down the steps toward Alice's car and when they were inside, she had to remind Bella to buckle her seat belt.

They were driving for a few minutes, when Alice said, "You should probably check your hair."

"My hair?" Bella pulled down the sun visor and flipped open the vanity mirror. Her eyes widened at the sight of how her hair looked like a haystack. She reached up and tried smoothing down all the parts that were sticking up.

Alice giggled. "I'd offer you a brush, but. . ." She pointed to her short, cropped hairstyle. "I don't usually carry one."

"It's okay. I just. . ." Bella felt her cheeks burn. "I didn't realize my hair looked like this."

A corner of Alice's mouth pulled up. "No, I'm sure there were other things occupying your attention."

"Alice!"

She giggled again.

They arrived at the dress shop several minutes later. Rosalie had already picked up her dress earlier in the week, and since Bella had been caught up in finals, she still needed to pick hers up. Her dress didn't need much alteration and this last fitting was just a formality right before the wedding.

It didn't take very long for Bella to try her dress on and they were done in only half an hour. Record time because she knew Alice could be quite meticulous with details like this.

On their way back to Alice's car, Bella asked, "Are we going back to your house now?"

Alice gave her a good natured smile. "Actually, I was hoping we could go out for something to eat." Her smile disappeared and she gave Bella a hopeful look. "Just the two of us."

"Sure." They put Bella's dress in the car and they walked down the block to a diner. It wasn't some place Alice would usually pick.

They entered the diner and Bella asked, "Are you sure this is okay?"

Alice nodded while she followed Bella. "Yeah. It'll be fine."

They were seated next to the window and looked over the menus. Not long later, a waitress came to take their order. Once they placed their order, they settled in to wait for their food.

After a minute, Alice said, "So, things between you and Edward seem to be going. . . well."

Bella smiled. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Alice looked down at the table. "I just wanted to apologize."

Her brow wrinkled. "For what?" When Alice didn't say anything, Bella leaned forward. "Alice, what's the matter?"

Alice took a deep breath before she looked up at Bella. "I'm sorry you had to find out about Edward's feelings like that."

Bella tilted her head to the side. "Did you know how he felt?"

She shook her head. "He never talked about it, but I always suspected. . . I never pushed because I thought. . . well, I wasn't sure how you felt about him. But thinking back, it's so obvious now. I realized that I should've been more. . . I don't know. . . aggressive with you two."

Bella gave her a friend a sympathetic look. "No, there was nothing you could've done."

Alice continued, "I feel so stupid. My brother and my best friend are in love with each other, and I didn't have a clue. I mean, I could've saved you both from so much pain."

"Alice." She reached across the table and put her hand on Alice's arm. "Please, don't do this. Don't blame yourself. Edward and I are trying to get passed what could've been. We're trying to move forward. There's no point in dwelling on the past."

There was a glimmer of hope in Alice's eyes. "So, you're not mad at me?"

Bella's eyes widened. "Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?"

Alice became flustered. "Well, it's just when you left, you were so upset. And then you stayed with Angela and I thought maybe you didn't want to talk to me again. Then when we were running errands yesterday, I wasn't sure how to bring it up. You seemed okay, but I know you. You act like you're fine even when you're not." She shook her head. "I learned that the hard way."

Bella realized that it had been Alice's plan to get them alone the whole time. This must've been really bothering her. Bella felt like such a terrible friend. She had been so caught up with what was going on with Edward, she had taken everything else for granted.

"Oh, Alice. I'm so sorry. I. . ." Bella looked out the window. "You're my best friend and I haven't been treating you very well. Once finals hit, I just threw myself into them. I guess you could say I was trying to forget what happened over the weekend for just a little while." She turned away from the window and turned her fork over on the table. "But once finals were over and I went back home to Emmett, it's been like a whirlwind of having to deal with my feelings for Edward."

She kept turning the fork over on itself. "I was so focused on thinking of how I would be around Edward that I didn't even think about you or Emmett." She looked up at Alice. "You two were there for me when Edward wasn't and now. . . I'm sorry that I neglected both of you when I should've turned to you guys for support."

Alice reached out for Bella's hand. "I understand why you needed to be by yourself. I just hoped that once you had time to think things over that we'd still. . . be friends."

Bella's mouth dropped and then she said, "Oh my gosh, Alice! Of course we are! You'll always be my best friend. Although I wouldn't blame you if you were mad at me for being so stubborn."

Alice let out a small laugh. "Well, if you're not mad at me and I'm not mad at you, then I guess we don't really have a problem at all."

Bella smiled and nodded.

Alice took a sip of her drink and then said, "So, are things between you and Edward really going well?"

Bella couldn't help grinning. "Yeah. I think so. He. . ." She couldn't help blushing. "We talked about taking things slow for now, but he. . . he's really making it difficult."

Alice studied her expression and saw that Bella was still smiling. "I take it he's make it difficult in a good way?"

She felt her face burn even more.

Alice leaned forward. "Wait, what's the problem?"

Bella shook her head. "There isn't one. Last night we talked about just taking things one step at a time. He said that he knew he had a lot of work to do to earn back my trust." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But. . . well, we also talked about the. . . physical aspect of our relationship and we decided to take that slow, too."

Alice shrugged. "So far it sounds like a good start."

Bella sighed. "Then this morning, we had a pretty. . . enlightening discussion."

Alice raised her eyebrows at her.

Bella felt her cheeks burn.

A corner of Alice's mouth pulled up before she said, "That must've been some. . . discussion?"

Bella knew it wasn't her place to talk about Edward's past sexual relationships, so instead, she said, "The discussion helped me better understand his reasons for staying away."

Alice studied Bella's face for a moment, and based on her complacent expression, she decided that things between Edward and Bella may really be on the mend.

Their food arrived and they started eating. Not long after the first couple of bites, Bella's phone vibrated. She took it out and saw she had a text.

She opened and read it.

_Are you guys done at the dress shop?_

Bella smiled and texted back.

_Yes, but I'm out eating with Alice._

Not a minute later, she got another text.

_How much longer are you going to be?_

She couldn't help giggling.

"Is that Edward?" Alice asked.

She nodded. "He seems. . . eager for me to get back."

Alice rolled her eyes. "He can be so annoying." She held out her hand.

Bella passed the phone to her.

Alice texted back Edward. They were texting back and forth furiously for a few minutes before Alice smiled and returned Bella her phone.

"That last text was for you."

Bella took her phone back and looked at the message.

_I hope you have a good time with Alice. Stay out of trouble._

_I miss you._

_Edward_

She read the text a few more times before she looked up at Alice.

Alice chuckled. "You guys are just too stinking adorable for your own good."

"Adorable?"

She shook her head. "Once you guys get past this stage, you won't be able to keep your hands off each other."

Bella felt her face go flush. "Alice. We're not-I mean we want to-but-"

Alice held up her hand. "I know you're confused right now, but it won't be like that for very long. It seems Edward is doing a really great job of. . . un-confusing you."

She couldn't help laughing. "I guess you could say that."

Alice continued, "He also seems quite determined to monopolize all your time."

Bella's brow wrinkled. "What are you talking about?"

"I nearly had to arm wrestle him just so we could spend sometime together. It's like he's trying to make up for all the time he missed with you."

A goofy smile spread across Bella's lips.

Alice's eyes widened. "You're not serious."

The smile disappeared. "What?"

"Bella! That is not cool."

Her shoulders rolled back. "What? That Edward wants to spend time with me?"

"No. That he thinks he can just snap his fingers, or in this case, call you on your cell and expect you to come running to him whenever he wants because he's finally ready to spend time with you."

Bella looked at her with a surprised expression. "You're making him sound like he's some kind of controlling, overbearing boyfriend or something. What's wrong with him wanting to make up for lost time?"

She looked at Bella with disbelief and then after a moment, she cleared her expression. "Nothing's wrong with it. You two deserve it, but. . . as a third party non-biased observer, I think it's a little unreasonable for him to expect you to be available to him whenever _he_ wants especially since he hasn't been here for _you_ for all those years."

Bella put her elbow on the table and then curled her fingers in her hair. "Now you're making it sound like I'm giving in too easy. But, I do want to be with him, Alice. I don't want to be upset or hurt about this anymore."

Alice's expression softened. "I didn't mean to sound like you should still be mad at him or anything. I just. . ." She let out a sigh before she said, "I don't think Edward should expect you'll be at his every beck and call. He could be more courteous. At the very least, he should try and make plans with you like a normal guy would."

Bella thought for a minute. "I see your point."

Alice continued with a firmer tone. "Plus, you don't want this to get to the point where your life revolves around being with Edward. You have your own life and you shouldn't forget all of that just because Edward has free time." She hesitated before she added, "He wouldn't neglect his responsibilities."

Bella leaned back in her seat. "Okay. You're right." She shifted in her spot. "I just. . . it's so easy to forget everything else and get caught up in wanting to be with him." She quirked an eyebrow at Alice. "So, now what? Do I request a formal invitation to see him tonight?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Bella, make him work for it. Just a little. Okay? Is it too much to expect him to ask you out on a real date? God, he was expecting you to just show up back at the house to continue-"

Bella felt her face become warm. "Alright! I see your point. I'm too easy. I need to be a little more virtuous. I get it."

Alice laughed. After a minute, she said, "It'll be good to make him earn it, too. He'll be more. . . appreciative."

She gave her a curious look. "Appreciative?"

Alice nodded. "Think about it. When you have to work harder for something you really want, doesn't it make you more appreciative of it once you have it?"

Bella shrugged. "I guess so."

Alice groaned in frustration. "You are such a creature of instant gratification, you know?"

Bella couldn't help laughing. "I am not!"

Alice raised an eyebrow at her. "So basically he was expecting to see you tonight without actually asking you if you were free?"

"Well, I-"

"Bella, you need to start teaching him that he can't expect you to be around just for him whenever he wants."

Bella rolled her eyes.

Alice turned to face Bella. "Look, he's my brother and I love him, but he's also a guy."

Bella groaned, "Alice."

Alice's expression became clouded and after half a minute, she stated, "We're going shopping."

Bella shook her head. "No. No. No."

Alice pressed on. "I'm going to call Rose and we're going to go shopping for tonight."

"Wait, what's happening tonight?"

Alice gave her a wide smile. "My bachelorette party."

Bella sat up in her seat. "You never said anything about a bachelorette party."

"I just decided."

"But-"

"I'm getting married on Saturday. Are you saying that I can't have one last night with my girlfriends before I commit myself to the man I love for the rest of my life?"

Alice gave her one of her trademark innocent expressions. Bella groaned and tipped her head back. "Alice."

"I have the perfect dress in mind for you." She took out her phone and began dialing. "It's going to drive Edward crazy. He won't want to let you out of the house. Oh. We should call Angela too."

Bella's head hung in defeat.

Alice was on the phone making plans with Rose to meet them at the mall. She filled her in on the plans for that evening and Rose was more than willing to go along with it. After she got off the phone, she sent a text out. Then asked for the bill.

Everything was happening so fast. Once Alice set out to do something, there really wasn't any stopping her.

They walked out of the restaurant. Bella followed Alice to her car while Alice continued to send text messages.

Even when they were in Alice's car, she still sent messages. A couple of minutes later, she put her phone back in her purse and let out a hearty laugh.

"What?"

Alice started her car. "I texted Jasper about our plans tonight. He was fine, but Edward didn't like it too much."

Bella turned in her seat toward her. "Did he say anything?"

"Yep."

Bella waited for Alice to continue, but when she didn't, she asked, "Well, what did he say?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Nothing of importance. Just blowing hot air out of his-"

"Alice! Is he mad?"

"Hmm. . . I wouldn't say mad. Definitely annoyed. And frustrated. I thought you guys didn't make plans for this evening."

"We didn't, but-"

She patted Bella on her hand. "Don't worry. After Rose and I are done with you tonight, Edward will make sure he doesn't take you for granted."

Bella sat back in her seat and turned to face the window. Then she rested her forehead on the glass. There was no point in arguing with Alice. She didn't think things with Edward were that dire. She had wanted to spend some time with him, too.

However, Alice did bring up some good points. Even though she was secure in Edward's feelings for her, she was still haunted by the possibility that he could leave her again. It was an unreasonable feeling, but she couldn't help it. She realized that perhaps deep down she was compensating for this insecurity by making herself available whenever Edward wanted to spend time with her. It felt he had so much control over her feelings, but now that she realized that she had just as much influence as Edward, then maybe she needed to exercise those powers.

He was gone for seven years. Why shouldn't he be a little more thoughtful and ask her out? That's how normal people would act when they're starting to date, right?

Bella pulled away from the window and sat up in her seat. She was prepared for whatever Alice and Rosalie planned.

* * * * *

After a few hours at the mall, they all returned to Alice's house to get ready for the girls' night out. Not only had they got Angela to join them, but Rosalie managed to convince Carlie to accompany them as well. Bella had actually met Carlie while on her self imposed finals seclusion, and she liked her.

It was exhausting being a woman. Between the shopping and thinking of ways to drive Edward crazy, Bella couldn't wait to get the night over with.

It was not that she was unwilling. When they got back to Alice's, she barely had a chance to say hello to Edward before Alice and Rosalie sequestered themselves in Alice's room to get ready. She thought it was ridiculous to start getting ready so early, but apparently there was much to do.

Angela and Carlie showed up later. Alice was doing everyone's hair and Rosalie was doing make-up. Bella thought Alice and Rosalie would go crazy doing make-up and hair for everyone, but they actually enjoyed the whole process.

She wasn't cut out for this real woman stuff. Give her a punching bag and she could do her best to knock the stuffing out of it, but give her mascara and an eyelash curler and you might as well have given her a stick of dynamite.

The time getting ready was slightly more bearable when Alice and Rosalie decided to put on some music to help put them in the mood for their licentious evening. They started off with Beyonce's _Single Ladies (Put on a Ring On It)_. Bella ignored the pointed looks from Rosalie and Alice. Angela and Carlie stifled a giggle. Angela took over for a while and played some tolerable songs. She put on Fiona Apple's _Criminal_ which Angela said made her feel a little naughty. The girls laughed unabashedly at her confession, but when Alice wanted to put on Britney Spears' _Circus, _Bella and Carlie vehemently refused and took over.

One of Bella's choices was _Electric Feel _by MGMT_. _They all gave her bewildered looks, but she merely shrugged and wore a knowing smile. She had seen it on Edward's _Beautiful _playlist.

Carlie's choice was even more surprising than Bella's. The base of a guitar and the strum of rock chords shook the room. _Spread Your Love_ by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club blared on the speakers. Bella gave her a questioning look when Carlie sat next to her on Alice's bed, but she merely shrugged and mumbled something about Jacob.

The feminine activity of make-up and hairstyling and the bold rock songs were quite a stark contrast. Make-up and styling products were strewn across on Alice's bathroom vanity. Clothes spilled out of her walk-in closet and were hung everywhere or scattered on almost every empty spot available.

Bella, who had never spent so much time on getting herself ready, looked around the room shaking her head.

Rosalie asked, "Why are you shaking your head like that, Bella?" Rosalie had looked up from straightening Angela's dark locks.

Bella shrugged. "Is all this necessary?"

Alice stopped applying eye shadow on Angela and Rosalie held the straightening iron in the air. They both looked at her with expressions of disbelief.

Alice was the first to speak. "I can not believe you just said that."

Rosalie pointed the straightening iron at Bella as if it was a weapon. "Have you forgotten everything we talked about at the mall?"

She squirmed in her spot. "No," she said in a very unconvincing tone.

Alice and Rosalie let out disgruntled noises, but resumed their attention back on Angela.

Before either of them could say anything, Carlie said, "What did you guys talk about?"

Bella said, "Nothing."

Alice shot Bella a look before she said, "Only that she needs to make Edward see that she is not to be taken for granted, and that Bella should expect him to treat her with courtesy."

Then Rosalie smirked and said, "It would be good to drive him crazy at the same time, too."

Angela's eyebrows shot up even though her eyes were closed while Alice applied a finishing powder on her face. "Hey, maybe you guys can share the wealth. Ben is having trouble seeing that right now."

Bella moved forward in her spot. "Ben? He's totally into you. He would never-"

Angela held up a hand. "I know that. It's just. . ." When Alice was done applying powder, she stepped aside and Angela looked at Bella. "Sometimes I feel like he takes me for granted. Come on, Bella. I'm trusty, reliable Angela. In the long run, it's great for our relationship, but sometimes. . ." She shifted in her seat before she said, "Geez, sometimes I want him to see me and look at me like he wants to rip my clothes off."

Bella's eyes widened in surprise and Carlie giggled. Alice gave Bella an "I told you so" look.

Rosalie took a section of Angela's hair for the straightening iron. "Well, if you want that kind of reaction, you've got to give him a reason to want to rip off your clothes."

Angela let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not sure what though. I read somewhere to try and be more flirty and spontaneous, but it's like he doesn't even notice."

Rosalie shook her head. "Guys aren't that sophisticated to pick up on stuff like that. You really have to hit them over the head so to speak."

Angela's shoulders sagged. "I thought I did. The other night I made his favorite dinner and dessert. We even watched one of those stupid action movies afterward. And nothing."

Rosalie asked, "What were you wearing?"

Angela shrugged. "Jeans and-"

"That was where you went wrong."

"What? I also wore this v-neck shirt in his favorite color."

Rosalie patted her on the shoulder not wanting to mess up her hair. "You should've just worn an apron."

Angela's brow wrinkled.

Alice snickered.

Carlie blushed, but Bella said, "Rosalie, there's no way they would've made it through dinner if all she wore was an apron."

Rosalie looked up at Bella and smirked. "That's the point."

Angela stuttered. "I-I don't think I could do something like that."

Alice said, "Well, you don't have to take Rose's approach." She couldn't help snickering again. "But definitely wear stuff that shows off more skin."

Angela clutched at her button down shirt. "More skin?"

Alice nodded. "You know. Instead of a t-shirt, wear a tank top. Instead of jeans, wear a skirt. Instead of capris, wear shorts. It doesn't have to be dramatic."

Carlie said, "The more skin a guy sees, the more they think about sex." Bella looked at Carlie with a raised eyebrow. Carlie shrugged and said, "What? I heard something like that from the movie _Clueless."_

Bella said, "But that doesn't really work, does it?"

Carlie raised an eyebrow at her. "What? You don't notice a difference in the way Edward looks at you when you're showing more skin?"

Bella automatically felt her face grow warm.

Angela said, "Okay. So first lesson, more skin means sex. What else?"

Rosalie tapped Angela on the shoulder, signaling she was all done. She beckoned Carlie to take Angela's spot. Carlie was more than happy to comply.

Alice said, "Well, guys are visual."

Rosalie added, "Once they get through all the clothing, you should have something sexy waiting for them. Well, actually, nothing would probably do the trick."

Angela sat next to Bella. "Um, I'm not quite into the commando thing."

Rosalie muttered under her breath something about amateurs.

Alice applied a base powder on Carlie and said, "You don't have to go to such drastic measures. If you know what Ben likes, then just go with that. Start off with lingerie in his favorite color."

Angela said, "But, lace and silk aren't really my thing."

Alice stopped applying make-up for a moment and gave Angela an incredulous look.

Bella whispered to Angela. "You're in trouble now."

Alice looked at Rosalie. "I think once I come back from the honeymoon, we need to take Angela lingerie shopping. She is in woeful need of some guidance."

Rosalie nodded.

Angela's shoulders rolled back. "But I don't think Ben likes that kind of stuff either."

Alice and Rosalie snorted.

Bella said, "Maybe not lace and silk, but something definitely feminine. Or at least, cute. Simple works, too."

Everyone stared at Bella.

She shifted in her spot. "What?"

Carlie cleared her throat. "Angela, if you want to start out easy, Victoria's Secret has a really nice cotton line with cute prints. I highly recommend the string bikini style."

Angela arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

Carlie continued, "It probably will be subtle enough where Ben will take notice, but it won't make you feel uncomfortable or anything."

Rosalie said, "Then when you're ready to take the training wheels off, try wearing some thongs."

Angela and Bella groaned.

Carlie said, "I'd only wear them as a last resort."

Rosalie said, "Hmm. Good point. Although I like wearing no underwear as a last resort."

Bella cringed. She couldn't help feeling weirded out knowing how her brother and Jacob were seduced by their respective girlfriends.

Angela perked up. "Okay. So lesson two: never underestimate the power of lingerie."

They all let out good humored laughing.

Angela was practically bouncing in her place. "So, what else?"

Rosalie smirked. "Let's see. We talked about clothing and underwear. That only leaves one thing-"

Bella said, "No. Absolutely not. We are not talking about _that."_

Rosalie looked at Bella with an astonished look. "What?"

Bella straightened up. "The clothes and underwear talk I can handle, but sex? It's too weird."

Angela said, "Why?"

"Well, because. . ." She snuck looks at Rosalie, Alice, Carlie, and Angela. Bella did not want to have images in her head of what they all did with their respective boyfriends.

Alice rolled her eyes and put the finishing touches on Carlie's make-up. "Look, we're not going into details about our personal sex lives. Think of this as purely a clinical way of discussing sex."

Rosalie said, "I would never reveal any details about Emmett's-"

Bella held up her hands. "Stop."

Rosalie continued, "Besides, I wasn't going to say sex."

Bella gave her a wary look.

She said, "I was going to say we covered clothes and underwear. Now we just need to discuss blow jobs."

Everyone giggled except Bella who let out a tortured groan and flopped back on Alice's bed. She muttered, "I am so not drunk enough for this."

Alice's features perked up. "That can be arranged." And before Bella could utter a word of protest, Alice disappeared out of the room.

Bella let out another groan while everyone else laughed. She couldn't really be annoyed. If she was honest, she was enjoying all the girl talk going on. Being around Emmett most of the time, there wasn't any opportunity to talk about stuff like this.

A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. She actually was curious about what Rosalie had to say about blow jobs, but Bella would never admit that. Instead, she waited for Alice to bring up drinks because she knew she needed something to fortify her strength to able to listen to what she had to say. God knew how detailed Rosalie would be.

* * * * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

In case anyone is curious, here's the playlist for the girl's pre-bacholerette party get together:

_All the Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)_ by Beyonce

_Criminal_ by Fiona Apple

_Electric Feel_ by MGMT (This is going to come again in the next chapter.)

_Spread Your Love_ by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Also, I hope Edward and Bella's conversation in the first half of the chapter shed some light to their estrangement. I know some of you wanted to know more about why Edward stayed away like he did and why Bella seemingly didn't fight for Edward and just accepted the situation. I felt they couldn't be this honest until this point in the story.

**Author's Note:**

I don't know where to begin. I suppose I should first start with thanking everyone for being so patient with me. Unfortunately, I haven't finished writing MBBF, but I am going to resume posting. I would really like to finish writing this story and I think the best way to motivate me to finish is to get back to posting. :) I've received so many reviews and PM's from lovely people about how much they enjoy the story and hope I haven't abandoned it. Nope. Just RL got the best of me, but I want to assure you that I will finish the story.

I also wanted to give a special thanks to **twi_ction** for rec'ing my story in her last chapter. I can't believe you did that! :) She's got a great story going on right now, **Collide**. I also wanted to thank **charlsad** for our brief IM chat when I was freaking out about the fandom imploding and I was being paranoid. Thank you for not thinking that I'm some crazy, hermit lady with a bunch of cats. Check out charlsad's story **The Honeymoon's Over. **

Welcome to the new readers who found my story through various means. Thank you to the people at **lion_lamb** at livejournal who've rec'd my story in the Weekly Rec post. I love that post b/c I love reading new stories, but it always suprises me when mine makes someone's list. It's like, Really? And thanks to the person who nominated me in the Member Appreciation post. Wow. Totally not expecting that either. And last, a special thanks goes to the person who nominated my story for the **Eddie and Bellie Awards for Best Novel-Incomplete**. That is just like whoa. If you haven't voted yet, please do. You don't have to vote for my story. If anything, you'll get to see more stories to read! The link is in my profile.

And last but not least, special thanks to my epic betas **spotzle** and **vjgm**. You guys, srsly. I cower at your greatness. If you haven't checked out their stories, you need to go do that. Now. :)

If you have any questions feel free to PM or join our discussion over at twilighted(dot)net in the AH Forums and look for My Brother's Best Friend. Sometimes I post teasers in that thread. :)


	17. Chapter 17: Dexter

**Chapter Rating: NC-17**

Sexual content is near the end of the chapter.

Note: Word Count +15, 000

Author's Note at the end.

**Chapter 17 "Dexter"**

_Ooh girl _

_Shock me like an electric eel _

_Baby girl _

_Turn me on with your electric feel _

- "Electric Feel" by MGMT

The music could be heard downstairs where the guys were hanging out. Since Angela and Carlie were invited, so were their respective significant others to hang out in an impromptu bachelor party for Jasper.

All of them had their eyes glued to the flat screen TV. Ben had brought over his PS3.

They were playing Madden Football. It was something they all could agree to play since everyone had played football in high school except Jasper. He played baseball, but the rest of them didn't hold it against him.

Jacob was concentrating on receiving a pass from Edward on the screen. The music from Alice's room thumped through the floor. "Geez, what the hell is going on up there?"

Jasper said, "When I went up there to change, I wasn't even let through the door. It was like I interrupted some kind of female ritual or something."

Emmett snorted and said, "They're probably talking about sex."

Ben, who had a break in the game, had taken a sip of his beer, but at Emmett's remark, choked.

Emmett clapped him on the back. "It's alright. Angela is a really nice girl. I'm sure she won't make you sound like a disappointment."

Edward hissed, "Emmett."

Ben cleared his throat. "Angela said they were just going to get ready together."

Jacob said, "I grew up with two older sisters. They're probably tearing us to pieces up there."

After Jacob's comment, the thumping bass could be heard of Beyonce's _Single Ladies_ and the chorus of "_if you like it, you should've put a ring on it" _blared through the house.

Jasper couldn't help letting out a snicker. Out of all the guys here, he was the only one who had been smart enough to do just that.

After a few seconds, Jacob asked, "So what else do you guys have planned for tonight?"

Emmett was biting his lower lip, concentrating on the screen. "What do you mean what else?"

Jacob said, "You mean we're just going to play video games all night while the girls go out and do who knows what?"

Emmett said, "Uh. . ."

Jasper said, "We could order pizza."

Ben said, "Ooh. I like those cinnamon doughnut holes they sometimes have."

Emmett said, "We could also get some hot wings. Extra spicy."

Jasper said, "Not too spicy. I get heartburn."

Ben said, "I think they have barbecue flavor. Those are good, too."

Emmett said, "Why can't we get both?"

Jasper said, "I don't know. That sounds a bit decadent."

Ben said, "But what are we going to get on the pizza?"

Emmett said, "No olives. I don't like them on pizza."

Jasper said, "But I like olives."

Ben said, "Well, I don't like onions."

Emmett said, "What the hell? We have to have onions."

Jasper said, "We could get more than one pizza."

Emmett said, "Who's being decadent now?"

Jacob said, "You guys have got to be kidding me."

Jasper said, "You think two pizzas is over the top?"

Jacob shook his head. "I can't believe you guys are squabbling over pizza toppings."

Emmett asked, "What? Do you want to get something else?"

He shook his head. "Isn't this supposed to be a bachelor party? Should we really be bickering over pizza toppings?"

It was quiet for a minute before Jasper said, "I'm fine just hanging out."

Emmett said, "No. Jacob's right. We should like. . . do something."

Jacob said, "That's what I'm trying to say!"

Ben said, "What like. . . a strip club or something?"

Jasper said, "I don't know about that." He actually knew that they shouldn't because he didn't think Alice would like it, but he didn't want to come out and say it. He gave Edward a pointed look.

Edward noticed Jasper's expression, but before he could say anything, Emmett said, "I don't think there are any strip clubs within an hour's drive around here. Besides, I think Rosalie would beat the crap out of me if she found out."

They all snickered.

Jacob said, "Alright, but so that's it? I mean, there's gotta be other things to do."

Jasper said, "We could go to the batting cages."

Ben said, "Oh, that would be sweet."

Emmett said, "Twenty bucks says I get the most home runs."

Ben said, "You are so on."

Jasper said, "I hope you guys are prepared to lose your money."

Before they could trash talk some more, Jacob said, "Okay. So batting cages are a go. What else?"

Emmett said, "We could go out for drinks."

Ben said, "Like to a bar?"

Emmett said, "No, at the lake."

Jasper said, "I don't know." He shot Edward another look. Jasper didn't want to get hung over.

Edward said, "We could go play some pool."

Emmett said, "Yes! I'll kick all your asses."

Jacob said, "Oh. It's on now."

Jasper said, "I wouldn't mind playing some poker, too."

Emmett said, "I've got chips at home. I can go back and get them."

Edward said, "I think my dad has some."

Jacob said, "Okay. So, we've got the batting cages, playing some pool, and poker. That's not too bad."

Ben said, "And pizza. We're still ordering pizza, right?"

Edward said, "If we're going to go all out, why don't we go to The Met."

Emmett said, "Oh hell yeah."

Ben said, "The Met?"

Jasper said, "The Metropolitan Grill. It's a steak house."

Jacob said, "That place is supposed to be good."

Emmett said, "Damn, but reservations are hard to get on short notice."

Edward said, "I'll handle it." He put the game controller down and took out his cell phone.

Emmett actually bounced in his seat. "After dinner, we should try out that new cigar shop."

There was a collective groan.

"What?"

Jacob said, "Uh, no offense. But cigars are disgusting."

Jasper said, "They're not that bad."

Ben said, "I've never smoked a cigar before."

Edward got off his phone. "Our reservations are at eight."

Emmett held up his fist and waited for Edward to pound it. "Nice."

Edward laughed and returned the gesture. Then he said, "What is this about smoking cigars after dinner?"

Jasper said, "Emmett suggested we try a new cigar shop afterward."

Edward picked up his game controller. "Hmm. . . maybe if we were all single it would be a good idea."

Emmett asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Edward smirked. "I'm sure the women would find the stench of cigar smoke a turn-on, right?"

After a moment, Emmett said, "Good point."

They started reviewing their plans again. Edward was about to suggest checking out a local band at one of the bars in downtown Seattle when he heard the familiar melody of MGMT's _Electric Feel_ blaring from upstairs. His eyes widened. Did Bella know this was on his _Beautiful _playlist? Had she seen it that one time at the cabin? It wasn't a very popular song, and it couldn't have been a coincidence. He could feel the back of his neck burn when the lyrics _turn me on with your electric feel_ echoed through the house.

Jacob leaned toward him. "Hey, are you okay?"

Edward snapped out of his thoughts. "Uh, yeah. I just. . . I'm fine."

He sat back down, but was distracted by the music. It was one thing to listen to the song by himself on his iPod and let thoughts of Bella invade his imagination. It was quite another matter to have the music blaring on a stereo. He made an effort to focus his attention on the game otherwise his thoughts would stray to Bella and then he'd be left in a state where it'd be quite obvious what he was thinking.

To his great relief, the song finally ended and the hard strumming of _Spread Your Love _reverberated through the floor.

Jacob missed a play in the video game and he shifted in his seat.

Edward's brow arched. "Are _you_ okay?"

Jacob cursed under his breath. "I can't believe Carlie-"

"What?"

Jacob shook his head. He wasn't going to admit how Carlie practically seduced him with this song.

Instead Jacob said, "What the hell are they doing up there?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure their intentions aren't pure."

Jacob laughed.

Alice entered the kitchen. "Oh. Video games. What a surprise."

Emmett said, "This isn't the only thing we have planned."

Alice held up her hand. "I don't want to know. This is the one time I'm choosing to be ignorant of Jasper's wayward behavior." She headed to the refrigerator.

Emmett asked, "You're not curious at all?"

"Nope."

Emmett said, "Oh come on! Not even a little?"

"Not at all." She had a bottle of cranberry juice on the counter and was now reaching in the freezer for something else. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to tell you what we have planned."

"What? Why not?" Emmett looked up from his game.

Alice gave him a sweet smile. "I can tell you we aim to misbehave."

Edward looked at Alice then and saw she had a tray with glasses, the cranberry juice, and a bottle of Grey Goose.

Edward's eyes narrowed at her and Alice's smile widened. She walked out of the kitchen and called over her shoulder, "See you guys later."

Edward cursed and said, "That can't be good."

Jasper said, "Alice won't let anything happen to any of them."

Edward thought back to that night Rosalie and Alice had taken Bella out for dinner and they got Bella drunk. Her hands had a mind of their own and she had no inhibition about where she placed her mouth. It was fortunate that at the time he was the recipient of her drunken advances, but tonight, who knew what would happen?

Jasper asked, "What's up, Edward?"

Edward looked at him and hadn't realized he was standing. "Nothing."

He sat back down. Edward knew he couldn't very well storm up to Alice's room and demand to know what they were up to, but he couldn't help feeling that way. Instead he focused his attention back on the video game, but only played halfheartedly which caused numerous shouts and expletives from Emmett. Edward could not really work up the guilt for not playing with all of his attention.

Edward couldn't help feeling that whatever was happening upstairs with Bella, he wouldn't like it.

* * * * *

Bella stood in front of Alice's vanity mirror and stared at herself.

"Damn," she muttered.

Angela, who was standing next to her, touching up her lips gloss, said, "What's wrong, Bella?"

Bella let her eyes examine the reflection in the mirror for another second before she said, "I don't even recognize myself."

"Oh, come on. You look gorgeous." Angela replaced the lip gloss wand and smoothed down her hair.

She shifted in her spot. "Well, that's just it. I know it's me, but. . . I just. . . I never imagined I could look this way."

Rosalie stepped between them and rearranged a strand of Bella's curled hair so that it fell just above one of her eyes. "Bella, everything's here. You just have to be willing to show yourself off from time to time." Rosalie then adjusted the neckline of Bella's dress lower.

Bella swatted away Rosalie's hand from her cleavage. She felt like she was already spilling out of her dress, but Alice made her put on double sided tape to assure her that she wouldn't have any wardrobe malfunctions.

"Rose, any lower, and my belly button will be showing."

She rolled her eyes at Bella's comment. "Then stop adjusting the collar. You're ruining the line of the dress."

Alice looked up from her reflection in the mirror. "She's right, Bella."

"Whatever." She walked away from the vanity and sat back on Alice's bed.

"Here." Rosalie passed her a glass.

Bella took it and sipped. "You know what happened the last time I went drinking with you guys, right?"

Rosalie smirked. "Yes. And I'm sure Edward appreciated it."

Bella's eyes widened. "Nothing happened."

Alice laughed. "He's too much of a gentleman to ever divulge details."

Angela plopped on the bed next to Bella. "Was it like that time you kissed Mike Newton on the cheek when you got drunk after graduation?"

Bella opened her mouth to deny anything happened, when Rosalie said, "She practically threw herself at Edward when we brought her back home."

Bella sat up. "I did not!"

Alice said, "You had yourself wrapped around him so tightly."

Rosalie said, "The only way he could get you upstairs is when he told you that he'd tuck you in."

Angela bounced her spot. "Oh my gosh. Edward said he'd tuck you in?"

Bella took another sip of her drink.

Carlie laughed while she finished putting on her shoes. "Are you sure nothing happened?"

Bella remembered him saying he'd tuck her in, but everything after that was fuzzy. "Edward told me that he came to my room, tucked me in, but I wanted him to stay until I feel asleep, so he did. And when I fell asleep, he left."

Rosalie looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "He looked so flustered when he came back downstairs."

Alice added, "I'm pretty sure he took a shower when he came home, too."

Angela giggled and Carlie bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

Bella gulped her drink down. Then asked, "Can we please talk about something else?"

Everyone resumed what they were doing, but after a moment, Angela asked, "So, is Edward a good kisser?"

Bella groaned and tipped her head back. When she pulled her face forward, there was another drink held in front of her face.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Rosalie who held the drink. Rosalie merely shrugged and mouthed the word, _What?_

Alice said, "Bella, this is a bachelorette party."

Bella took the drink, but mentally swore she would not drink anymore the rest of the night. She took a sip and already felt the tension slipping away. After a moment, she said, "He is a damn good kisser."

There was a hoot of laughter from the other girls. Bella couldn't help smiling.

Alice stood away from her make-up counter and looked at Bella. "Alright. Now, Bella, there will only be a few minutes before we leave, so you have to make the most of it."

Rosalie added, "Just enough time for him to get an eyeful and get him worked up for the rest of the night while you're gone."

Alice took a step forward. "Bella, you have to really be determined. You can't let him just have his way after he's been gone for so long. He has to put a little effort into the whole dating concept and treat you well."

Bella stood up. "But is this all really necessary." She gestured with her hand at her body. "I mean, he's already seen the goods, it's not like there's any mystery."

Rosalie rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Then she leveled a look at Bella. "All the more reason to make him more appreciative. He's going to realize that all this." She gestured at Bella's body. "Could've ended up with someone else, but instead you chose him."

Bella crossed her arms. "But I don't want anyone else."

Rosalie shook her head. "Of course not. That's not the point."

Angela stood up and looked at Bella. "I think what they're trying to say is that you have to stop selling yourself short."

Rosalie nodded.

Angela continued, "I know you won't like this, but you've always held Edward in such a high regard. He is wonderful, but he's not perfect."

Bella let out a frustrated sigh. "I know he's not-"

Angela held up her hand. "You tell yourself that, but think about it. What's the reason why it never worked with anyone else?"

Bella shifted in her spot, averting her eyes from Carlie.

Angela said, "Instead of thinking that you're lucky that Edward wants to be with you. Think of it as Edward will never know how lucky he is that you've chosen him."

Rosalie threw her arms around Angela. "Thank you so much for translating."

Alice said, "I'm sure after he sees Bella, he'll understand."

After a moment, Bella looked around the room at her friends. She knew they were right. Things between her and Edward wouldn't be moving forward if she didn't want them to.

"Alright." Bella breathed in and out. "Let's do this."

Everyone gathered their stuff.

Alice asked, "You guys have your ID's?"

Bella checked the wristlet that Alice loaned her for the evening. "Oh, I forgot to get it out."

Angela, Carlie, and Rosalie had already left the room. Alice had her things, but before she left, she said, "We'll see you downstairs then." She paused at the doorway and turned to Bella. "When you find it, wait another two minutes."

Bella's brow furrowed at her.

Alice smiled. "Just trust me, okay?"

Bella shrugged. "Alright."

Alice left, but not before giving Bella a knowing smile.

Bella shook her head. It didn't take her very long to find her ID so she busied herself with putting some of her stuff away and reapplying her lip gloss. She didn't know why Alice was having her wait two minutes, but she kind of felt some relief at putting off facing Edward.

* * * * *

Angela and Carlie were the first to enter the living area, causing Ben and Jacob to effectively ruin the game on the screen. Emmett was about to use a few choice words to describe how whipped they were, but then Rosalie entered the room and instead he dropped his controller and tore across the room to sweep her up in his arms.

Jasper and Edward snickered at the other guys reactions to the girls entering the room. Then Jasper's smirk quickly disappeared when Alice sauntered in, giving Jasper a sultry smile.

The ladies were all fairly attractive in their own way, but it was apparent they had gone out of their way to attract quite a bit of attention. Angela and Carlie had their hair straight and sleek. They were dressed in jeans that looked painted on and wore tops that were off the shoulder, implying they were bare underneath their blouses. Angela's top was ruby colored to complement her sable locks. Carlie's was turquoise to emphasize her fair skin. Jacob's eyes raked over Carlie's form and Ben merely stood in front of Angela with a stunned expression.

They must've gotten the painted jeans idea from Rosalie because she also had a similar pair on, but instead she wore a red bustier that looked like it was doing the impossible by providing support for her ample bosoms. Her shoulders were covered by a black half sweater with cap sleeves.

Alice was wearing an iridescent slip dress with a halter top and stilettos that gave her legs definition. Jasper eyed them with open admiration, causing Alice to grin.

Edward looked around. "Where's Bella?"

Still looking at Jasper, Alice said, "Oh, she'll be done in a second. She forgot to get her ID."

Edward's stomach twisted in nervous anticipation. He didn't know why he should be feeling this way. Bella was already beautiful, but he couldn't help wondering how she would look for tonight. Was it possible for her to be even more breathtaking? He didn't think so.

He shot out of his seat. "I'm going to make sure Bella is okay." He walked out of the living room and through the kitchen before anyone could say anything. Everyone was too caught up in each other to notice him leaving the room.

Edward made it to the foyer and was about to climb the first step of the stairway when he stopped mid-stride. He hadn't been paying attention at first, but when he looked up, he saw Bella at the top of the stairs, walking down each step in a slow, deliberate manner.

His breath caught in his throat and he felt his jaw grow slack.

This wasn't the Bella he had grown up with or even spent the last two weeks with. This creature descending the stairs exuded sensuality and temptation. Her hair was in a wavy cascade down her shoulders, but the way it was slightly disheveled and an errant strand lay across half her face gave the implication that she had just climbed out of bed after being thoroughly satisfied.

The midnight blue dress she wore, or lack of a dress, helped to emphasize the curves of her body with each steady movement she made down the stairs. The length of it stopped at the middle of her thighs. It was sleeveless and the neckline plunged down in a V just below her breasts. The bottom tip of the V was a not so subtle hint pointing down at one of her most glorious parts. As if that wasn't enough, Bella wore stilettos that made her legs look like they went for miles.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she gave him a small smile. When he continued to stare at her, Bella blushed and said, "Hey."

He had this urge to be somewhere alone with her in the dark with his hands all over her body.

When he still had not said anything, a slight look of concern clouded Bella's face. "Edward?"

He blinked several times and swallowed hard. "Uh. . ." Was all Edward managed when Alice stepped in to the foyer.

"Oh, Bella. There you are. Did you find your ID?" She beamed.

"Yeah." Bella glanced at Alice, but still had a confused expression due to Edward's silence.

"Good. The limo should be here in fifteen minutes. We're doing shots in the kitchen before it gets here." Alice spared a look at Edward and her smile grew wider at his fixed expression on Bella.

"Oh." Bella looked at Edward again. She couldn't help feeling disappointed that he had nothing to say, so she made a move toward the kitchen to follow Alice.

She was stopped when she felt Edward's hand on her wrist.

His eyes were trained on hers. "Can I talk to you for a minute before you leave?"

Bella said, "Sure." Then she looked at Alice. "Could you give me a second?"

Alice's smile disappeared and she gave Edward a warning glance. Then she said in a firm tone, "It took hours for us to achieve this look. I don't want a hair out of place and her lip gloss better be intact." Then she narrowed her eyes at Edward. "And the dress stays in place."

At the last comment, Edward's head snapped away from Bella to Alice and he returned his sister's glare. "Fine."

Alice gave him a triumphant smile and left them alone in the foyer.

Edward took Bella by the hand and lead her past the staircase to the hall that lead to Carlisle's study. Edward knew they'd have some privacy there because Carlisle was working and it was far enough away from the kitchen so that they would not be disturbed.

"What's the matter, Edward?"

He stood in front of her. "Why would you think something's wrong?"

Bella lifted up one shoulder up and then down. "It seems like something's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me." He willed his eyes not to trail down her chest and stay focused on her face. "It's just that. . . you look. . ."

She shifted in her spot. "What?"

He took a step forward. "There aren't any words."

Bella felt his fingertips make a trail up her arm and he dipped his head down. His lips almost touched hers, but at the last second he moved so that they touched the corner of her mouth.

She let out a shaky sigh. "So. . . you're not upset?"

He pulled his face away so that it was inches from hers. "Upset? Why would you think that?"

She looked up at him and felt her stomach flip at the way he was studying her mouth. She barely managed to say, "Your expression. I couldn't tell what you were thinking."

A slow smile spread across his lips. "It's probably best that you didn't know."

One of her eyebrows arched. "I thought we were going to be honest with each other from now on."

He rested his fingertips on her shoulder and Bella was being guided back until she felt the wall of the staircase behind her. Edward's body was an inch away from hers, but she could still feel the heat radiate off his chest. She was anticipating that he would press his body against hers, but he stayed away. She realized that he was probably keeping his promise to Alice to keep her dress intact.

She wanted to strangle Alice at that moment.

Edward placed one hand on the wall of the staircase just above her head and the other reached around and cupped the back of her neck.

He leaned down next to her ear and asked, "Is this the first time you've worn those shoes?"

Bella had closed her eyes, enjoying his breath on her skin, but when his question registered, her eyes snapped open. "Uh. . . why?"

He hesitated before he asked, "Have you ever wore them to bed before?"

Her brow creased. "No. Why would-"

"I wouldn't be opposed if you did." He gave her a searing look.

When she didn't respond, Edward pulled his face away and saw her eyes widened and she had an expression that he didn't understand. Was she appalled? Disgusted?

He took a step back. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to-"

She shook her head. "No. Don't apologize. I was just surprised by. . . your honesty."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I shouldn't have told you that."

She took a step forward. "I just. . . I didn't know you thought of me that way."

"Bella, when you look like this, it's kind of hard not to."

She couldn't help letting a small smile escape. "So you like the way I look right now?"

He felt the tops of his ears burn and looked away. "I thought it was quite obvious that I did."

She raised a hand and rested it on his chest. In the stilettos, she had no problem meeting his eyes.

Edward took a deep breath, savoring the deceptively sweet freesia scent. Sweet was not the word he would use to describe her at the moment.

He steadied himself by placing his hand over hers that rested on his chest. He really did not want to incur Alice's wrath and it was taking every ounce of his will power not to touch Bella the way he wanted.

He cleared his throat. "Do you have your cell phone with you?"

Her brow furrowed and she nodded.

He took a step back. "Is it on? Is it charged?" He reached in his pocket.

Bella couldn't help feeling a little put out. She liked the affect she was having on Edward, but now he seemed so collected.

She said, "Yeah, but-"

"I just want to make sure in case there's an emergency or something."

She rolled her eyes and before she could tell him that he was being worse than Emmett, The Donnas' _Take It Off_ was coming from her wristlet. It took her a second to realize that it was her phone that was going off. Then it took another minute for her to dig out her phone because she was so flustered.

She finally hit the end button, but it wasn't before the lyrics "_I'm tryin' hard to think/And I think that I want you on the floor/Uh huh, yeah on the floor!"_

Bella felt her face go red up to the roots of her hair. When she looked up at Edward, he wore a grin on his face.

She shifted in her spot.

He took a step forward. "Is that my ring tone?"

She was flustered. "What? No. It's my default ring tone."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She looked down at her phone. "It's not that big a deal." She got an idea and hit the call button.

After a minute, the upbeat melody of a guitar melody played and the smooth voice of Jason Mraz sung the first stanza of the song _I'm Yours. _She couldn't help smiling when she heard the line "_I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted_." She expected him to turn his phone off, but instead he let the song play and took another step toward her.

He looked at her with a gentle expression in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips. Then the lyrics "_I won't hesitate no more, no more/It cannot wait, I'm yours" _played. He settled a hand on her waist and drew her to him.

He pressed the end call button and lowered his head, so that his mouth was next to her ear. "That's not a default ring tone."

Bella's breath caught in her throat when she felt his hand slide up her back. She stammered when she said, "I-That's my ring tone?"

He nodded, his nose grazing the area just below her ear.

She let out the breath that she had been holding, but her voice was low. "That wasn't my default ring tone either."

"I'm going to be thinking about those lyrics all night. Those lyrics are. . ." Edward placed his other hand on her waist and encircled her in his arms. "Would you really. . ." He lowered his face, so that his mouth was next to her ear. "On the floor, Bella?"

Bella willed her eyes to stay open when she felt him breath a kiss on her collarbone. She was going to say something, but when she felt the tip of his tongue lick her skin, she gasped.

Her reaction made Edward more bold. He drew her body to his. Bella entwined her fingers in his hair, holding his head in place on her neck and her other arm was wrapped around him.

Edward was very careful not to leave any evidence that Bella's appearance was tampered with. His lips explored her neck although he was extremely tempted to cover her mouth with his. He would've liked to thread his fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck to give him better access to her collarbone, but instead he let his hand wander down her body.

The fabric of the dress was thin, so he could feel every part of her. His hand caressed the side of one of her breasts which earned another gasp from Bella. His hand slid further down and cupped her bottom.

There was something nagging in the back of Edward's mind, but it was pushed aside when he had to feel her again and he repeated the whole process with both hands this time. She was so warm and soft and then his mind made the jump to the one place he wanted to be most. And as if reading his mind, she hooked a foot around his calf.

He hadn't realized that he had Bella against the wall of the staircase again until she moaned his name in his ear.

He palmed her rear so he could angle his hips in between her thighs. He had his other hand boldly cupped under one of her breasts.

Edward nearly lost his mind when the tip of Bella's tongue licked his lower lip.

He groaned into her mouth. "Christ, Bella. Alice is going to kill me." He continued touching her, feeling the curves of her body when the nagging feeling came back. It wasn't Alice's warning that flashed in his mind. His hands froze on her body. Then he pulled his face away and gave Bella an incredulous look.

It took a minute for her to register his expression and Bella asked, "What's the matter?"

He touched her body again, but in a more objective manner as if he was testing something.

A slow smile spread across her lips at the way he put his hands on her, but there was no passion in his touch. In a concerned tone, she said, "Edward?"

He stepped away from her causing Bella to stumble, but she was quick to get back on her feet. She adjusted her skirt and waited for him to speak.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he said, "You are _not_ going out like that."

At first Bella thought he was joking, but his expression was serious and there was something else simmering in his expression. Before she could ask him what was wrong, the doorbell rang.

Alice trotted out from the kitchen. She walked toward the door, but not before giving Bella a once over. She narrowed her eyes for a brief moment on Bella's dress, but since it looked like it was in place, Alice returned her attention to the door.

It was the driver for the limo. Alice called out that it was time to leave. The driver returned to the car to wait for them. Alice took a few steps toward Edward and Bella.

Alice raised an eyebrow at them. "Are you ready to go?"

Edward's tone was firm. "She's not leaving the house like this."

Alice and Bella spoke at the same time.

Alice raised her hand and said, "What are you talking about?"

Edward's eyes raked over Bella's body. "She can't go out dressed like that. She's indecent."

Bella had a hand on her hip. "I think that's the point, Edward."

Edward's eyes blazed with emotion. "You think this is a joke? You do realize that every guy you encounter is going to try. . . something with you, right?"

Bella placed her hands on her hips. "I can take care of myself."

Edward plowed forward not listening to what she said. "The worse part is that you are completely clueless about it all. Someone could take advantage of you and you probably won't even know it because you always think the best of people."

Alice said in a warning tone. "Watch it, Edward."

He continued, "But I know guys. I know what they think about and when they see you. . ." His eyes wandered up and down her body. "You can't go out like that."

The others came out from the kitchen, but when they saw Edward, Alice, and Bella standing in the hall, it was obvious they had interrupted something.

Emmett spoke first. "What's going on?" Then he saw Bella. "What the hell?" He pushed forward.

Emmett's eyes bulged from his sockets. "You can't go out dressed like that!"

Rosalie stepped in. "She is a grown woman-"

Emmett turned to Rosalie. "You did this?"

Rosalie rolled her shoulders back. "You're going to take that tone with me?"

Emmett took in a deep breath and hesitated for a second before he said in a calmer tone. "I just think. . . she should put more clothes on."

Bella held up her hands. "That's enough. No one is going to say anything else about the way I look or what I'm wearing." She took a step forward and pointed toward the door. "You all need to wait outside while I talk to Edward."

Emmett said, "But-"

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "Not another word or I'll throw your ass out."

Emmett's lips formed a thin line, but he turned around and walked out the door. Rosalie followed him out, but not before giving Bella a small smile of approval. Alice looked at Edward with narrowed eyes, but then turned to Bella and her face softened. "You'll be okay?"

Bella nodded with determination. "I'll be fine."

Once they were left alone, Bella tried to keep her tone even. "What the hell is your problem?"

Edward gave her a look of disbelief. "My problem?"

Bella's hands fisted. "A few minutes ago, you seemed to be enjoying yourself. A lot. Now you're being totally. . . ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? Is it so ridiculous that I don't want anything happening to you?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Bella, the way you look. You're practically inviting trouble."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I've managed to survive on my own for the past seven years, I think can handle one night."

Edward kept his mouth shut, but the line of his jaw flinched.

Bella continued, "And why are you making such a big deal about this?" She gestured with her hand toward the dress. "It's not like you've never seen me dressed up before."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Yes, the dress is provocative. The problem is that you're not wearing anything underneath it."

Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his conclusion.

Edward took her expression to mean that she couldn't deny the truth. "Did Alice and Rosalie put you up to this?"

She squared her shoulders. "I have a right to decide what to wear or what not to wear regardless if I'm going to the market or going out with a bunch of friends. Again, I've been doing fine on my own for a while without any help from you. What right do you have ordering me to change my clothes?"

He took a step toward her and in a low voice he said, "I'm your god damn boyfriend. That gives me the right to say I don't think you should leave without any underwear on."

If she was still seventeen, Bella would've thrown herself at him and reveled over Edward's possessive nature.

But she wasn't seventeen.

And she hadn't become the sort of woman that he could bully into doing what he wanted.

Bella closed the gap between them, so that their faces were a few inches apart. Her voice was calm, but there was a note of fierceness that conveyed she was not to be opposed.

She looked directly into his eyes. "First of all, the status of whether or not you are my boyfriend is still pending."

His features softened for a moment, but then resumed their hardened expression.

She continued, "If you ever act like this in the future, I will punch you. Again."

At this comment, Edward's eyebrows shot up.

Bella's expression turned to disappointment. "And what kind of girl do think I am? Do you honestly believe that I'd walk out of here with no underwear on? I am wearing underwear." She leaned in next to his ear and in a low voice said, "It's called a thong."

She stepped away from him and gave him a baleful look. "I hope you have a good time with the guys tonight."

It took a minute for Edward to process everything she said and a second to realize that she had walked out the door. Edward turned and followed her.

All the girls were already in the limo. Bella walked toward it, but not without enduring a comment from Emmett about throwing on a parka. Edward didn't hear Bella's exact response, but it had something to do with castrating him with her stilettos.

She slipped in the car and in a few seconds the limo pulled away. Edward was left on the curb watching the tail lights of the car as it disappeared around the corner.

"Geez, what the hell was that about?" Emmett asked.

Edward continued to stare into the dark street.

"You must've really pissed her off."

Edward turned his head to see Jacob stifling his laughter.

He rolled his eyes and headed back into the house.

Emmett asked, "What happened? I thought you'd talk her into changing."

Jasper said, "Ease up, Emmett. Can't you see, he doesn't want to talk about it?"

They all made their way to the living room and resumed their seats, but didn't continue with the game.

"I've never seen Angela look so. . . hot before," Ben said in a bemused tone.

Jacob shook his head. "It's always the quiet ones."

Emmett leaned his head back on the couch. "I wonder where they're going. Jasper, did Alice tell you?"

Jasper shook his head. "Alice said she didn't want us to get any ideas about following them."

Emmett groaned. "I bet there will be a lot of guys around."

Ben said, "Angela doesn't like it when guys hit on her."

Jacob said, "Don't you mean _you_ don't like it when guys hit on her."

Ben said, "What? And you're okay with guys hitting on Carlie?"

Jacob was about to say something, but when Ben's words sank in, he frowned.

Jasper said, "Come on. They're all going to be fine. If anything, Rosalie knows how to handle unwanted attention. She's really good at telling a guy off."

Emmett chuckled. "True."

Edward stood up. "I'm going to shower before we go out to dinner." He left the living area before anyone could say anything to him.

Ben asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Jacob smirked. "I don't know, but I bet he pissed off Bella."

Emmett said, "I'm surprised she didn't listen to him."

Jacob let out a small laugh. "Oh, I'm sure she heard every word he said. I'm surprised he's still standing."

Emmett sat at the edge of his seat. "What? I bet he was just looking out for her."

"Which I told him he needs to stop doing."

"Well, what was he supposed to do? Act like he was okay with her going out looking like that?"

"You seemed fine with Rosalie going out with the way she looked."

"That's different."

"How?"

"I know Rosalie can take care of herself."

Jacob laughed. "And you wonder why Bella threatened to castrate you?"

Emmett scrubbed his hands with his face. "Okay. I should stay out of it. It's just. . . she's my sister."

Jacob's smile faded. "And it's good that you care about her, but she can take care of herself."

"I know."

Jacob was about to say something else, but saw the hurt look on Emmett's face. He seemed to be really trying to come to terms with Bella being an adult. He let it go.

After a minute, Ben said, "How much longer until dinner?"

Emmett snapped out of his thoughts. "You know what? I think I'm going to make a sandwich to tide me over until dinner."

Ben smiled. "Good idea."

They both headed to the kitchen followed by Jacob and Jasper.

Jasper said, "You know, you'll spoil your appetites."

Emmett said, "No, we won't. It's just a snack."

Jacob and Ben were already plowing through their sandwiches. Jasper just shook his head and watched them. He hoped things would get better as the night progressed, but he had a feeling that Edward would be morose all evening. He made a mental note to make some bets with Edward while they played pool. Competitiveness usually helped improved Edward's mood.

* * * * *

They went to the batting cages before dinner and it seemed to improve Edward's mood a little. He won the bet over who would get the most home runs. At dinner, Emmett and Jacob made a bet as to who could finish the Porterhouse. It was almost painful to watch them gorge themselves on appetizers, dinner, and dessert, but in the end, they both finished everything.

Emmett and Jacob found a common ground in eating which caused them to find a new level of respect for the other person.

After dinner they decided to play pool. They had been playing for a couple of hours. Jacob and Emmett got into a heated game. They had bet that who ever won the game got to ride shotgun for the rest of the evening. Ben watched eagerly as they played.

Jasper and Edward played a separate game at a leisurely pace.

Edward said, "I'm glad they didn't know each other in high school."

Jasper chuckled. "It probably would've been entertaining."

Edward shook his head. "More like exasperating."

Jasper bent down to take a shot. The cue ball hit his intended target, but it missed the pocket. He straightened up. "I'm glad you're in a better mood."

Edward was studying the table. "Well, I found that a little sophomoric behavior was always amusing."

Jasper said, "So after this, poker game?"

Edward nodded. "I think Emmett wanted to go back to his place."

Jasper was about to say that was fine, when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and saw he had a text from Alice. He couldn't help smiling and opened the text.

Except there wasn't a text, but a picture of Alice with her arm around Bella. They had drinks in their hands and they had the kind of grins that only people who have consumed large amounts of alcohol would have. Jasper couldn't help chuckling and shaking his head.

Edward asked, "What?" And before Jasper could put his phone away, Edward saw the picture.

He scowled.

Jasper saw his expression. "What's the matter?"

Edward put his pool stick down. "Bella drunk is not a good thing."

Jasper said, "You know Alice and Rosalie won't let anything happen to her."

Edward pulled out his phone to check his messages.

Nothing.

He shoved it back in his pocket.

Jasper said, "Come on. There's nothing to worry about."

Edward picked up his pool stick. "Whatever."

They were going to resume playing when they heard Emmett let out a loud curse. They all looked up to see Emmett looking at his cell phone.

Edward and Jasper walked over.

Edward asked, "What's the matter?"

Emmett quickly shoved his phone back in his pocket. "Uh. It was just a text from Rosalie."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Jasper just got one from Alice, but it was a picture."

Emmett furrowed his brow and looked at Jasper. "You showed it to Edward."

Jasper shrugged. "It was just a picture of Alice and Bella together."

Emmett's eyes widened. "What were they doing?"

Edward and Jasper looked at each other before Jasper said, "Having a drink together."

Emmett let out a sigh or relief. "Oh. That's good."

Edward was about to ask what was the matter again when Ben and then Jacob's cell phones went off. They both checked at the same time. Ben's eyes practically fell out of their sockets and Jacob immediately shoved his phone back in his pocket.

This time Edward voiced his question out loud. "What the hell is going on? Is everything okay?"

Ben, who still had his eyes on his phone, said, "Uh. . ."

Edward moved toward him, but Ben saw them movement and quickly put his phone away.

"What's going on?" he asked again.

Jacob asked, "Bella didn't send you a text?"

Edward shook his head.

Emmett said, "She shouldn't anyway."

Edward looked at Emmett. "Why not?"

Emmett opened his mouth to say something, but shut it.

Jacob said, "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

Emmett said, "Yeah. It's nothing."

Ben was still dazed and mumbled, "Where the hell did Angela get a banana?"

They all stared at Ben for a minute before Emmett and Jacob diverted their gazes elsewhere. Jasper chuckled.

Then he said, "It looks like the girls are sending drunk pictures of themselves."

Jacob ran his fingers through his hair. "You could say that."

Emmett looked at Edward. "Bella didn't send you one?"

Edward shook his head. He felt a little hurt, but it also meant that she wasn't drunk like the rest of them. He found little comfort in that.

They decided to leave and head back to Emmett's place to play poker. On their way out, Jasper asked Edward, "Are you alright?"

Edward shrugged. "Yeah. Why?"

"I don't know. You seemed a little upset a minute ago."

He shook his head. "I was, but it's not a big deal."

Jasper hesitated before he said, "Did you guys get in a really big fight?"

Edward let out a long breath. "I wouldn't say it was a big fight. Just a. . . disagreement."

They piled into their car.

Edward got in the driver's seat and Jasper went for the passenger side.

Emmett said, "Hey, I won shotgun."

Jasper said, "Well, I'm the guest of honor."

Jacob snickered while Emmett squeezed into the back seat.

Edward drove toward Emmett's house. In the back Emmett, Ben, and Jacob got into an enthusiastic discussion about football which lead to the Seahawks and their chances of winning anything this year.

Jasper asked in a low voice, "What was the disagreement about?"

It took a second for Edward to realize what Jasper was asking about. He hesitated before he said, "I. . . I didn't like what she was wearing."

"What did you say to her?"

There was another pause before Edward told Jasper the conversation that transpired between him and Bella.

Then suddenly the car was quiet.

Edward groaned. _How much did they all hear?_ He thought.

Jacob said, "You actually said that to Bella."

Emmett said, "What's wrong with that?"

Jacob said, "Come on. Do you really think your sister would go out like that?"

Emmett said, "No, but-"

Jasper said, "You guys. I don't think Edward wanted to have a group discussion about this."

Emmett said, "Well, I don't see what was wrong with Edward expressing his concern."

Jacob said, "And you wonder why Bella was so pissed? She's a grown woman. I'm surprised she hasn't kicked both of your asses yet because of the way you treat her."

Emmett turned to Jacob. "Hey, I admit. I can be overprotective, but I'm working on it. But it doesn't mean that I'm okay with her stepping out of the house half-naked."

Jasper said, "You need to stop talking about her. I don't think Bella would appreciate you guys talking about her like this."

It was quiet for a minute.

Then Ben said, "You know, one thing that I've realized is that I've been taking Angela for granted."

In a lowered voice, Jacob said to Emmett, "No more drinks for Ben, okay?"

Emmett nodded vehemently. "I knew those shots were a bad idea."

There was another awkward silence, but Ben continued, "We've been together for a long time and I never really appreciated her. She's smart, funny, and sweet. I've been assuming that she'd always be there, but what if she's not?"

There was a tense moment of indecision occupying the car. The others were unsure how to respond. Nobody dared to venture down that path, but Ben seemed to be a sentimental drunk and needed reassurance. The question was who was going to do it?

Finally, Jasper asked, "What made you realize this?"

Ben let out a deep breath. "The way she looked tonight. She could get any guy she wants. What if she meets someone way better?"

This time, they all were quick to reassure him that Angela wouldn't do that.

Ben held up his hand and said, "It's alright you guys. I know the truth. I'm not much to look at and in high school, I wasn't popular like Edward or Emmett. I just. . . I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have taken Angela for granted all this time."

After a moment, Jacob felt sorry for him and said, "Ben, you're not an idiot. It's just a good thing you realized this now before it was too late."

Ben nodded, but when he realized that Jacob couldn't see him, he said, "Yeah."

Jacob continued, "So, now that you know she's too good for your ass, you should start appreciating her more often."

"Right."

Emmett hesitated before he added, "When was the last time you bought her flowers?"

It was quiet for a minute.

Emmett said, "If you can't remember, then it's been too long."

Jacob said, "When was the last time you took her some place nice?"

Ben said, "Valentine's Day?"

Jacob said, "You do realize it's June, right?"

Ben shrank down in his seat.

Jasper said, "Alright. Oprah and Dr. Phil."

Edward pulled up in front of Emmett's house.

Jasper continued, "Are we going to play some poker or do we want to continue giving Ben advice on his love life?"

Everyone laughed and cleared out of the car.

Edward was following Emmett, Jacob, and Ben inside, when Jasper said, "Hey, Edward."

Edward stopped mid-stride and looked back at Jasper. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry they heard that. I didn't mean for it to turn into a group therapy session."

Edward chuckled. "It's fine." He hesitated before he said, "A lot of what Ben said made sense."

Jasper's eyebrows shot up.

Edward continued, "I know Bella loves me, but. . . all that time I was gone, she could've ended up with someone else. I mean, I figured she would." He thought about how she could've ended up with Jacob. "But, she wanted me. Even after all this time and the way I treated her."

Jasper gave him a sympathetic look.

Edward ran his finger through his hair. "I was lucky that she still wanted me. It was easy to forget that tonight."

They heard Emmett call them from inside the house. "Are we going to play poker or what?"

Jasper shook his head and walked into the house.

Edward followed, but his phone vibrated in his pocket. He stood in the hall to check it. He opened the message.

_Thinking about you._

Attached was a picture of Bella. She had one hand tangled in her wavy hair and she was biting her lower lip. The expression in her eyes were so full of desire.

Edward felt his mouth go dry. In a few seconds a wide grin spread across his face and he went to go join the rest of the guys to play poker.

* * * * *

It had been a long night, but Bella had to admit that she had a lot of fun. When she got in the limo, everyone could tell that she was upset. They heard what she said to Emmett and it looked like she and Edward did not part nicely.

They all gave her sympathetic looks, but it was Rosalie who said, "You are not going to waste anymore time being upset at them. This is a girls' night and we are going to have fun if I have to shove it down your throat."

Bella blinked several times in surprise.

Alice laughed and said, "Rose! You don't have to be so aggressive about it."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Edward and Emmett have been on her case for way too long. I think it's good she finally let them have it." She called out to the driver. "Can we turn on some music?"

The driver nodded. "Right above your head is a console for the stereo."

Alice pulled out a CD from a duffle bag.

"What's the bag for?" Angela asked.

Alice smiled. "Just being prepared in case we need something. You know like if someone needs a quick wardrobe repair, some aspirin, mints. That kind of stuff."

Angela laughed. "You think of everything."

"Well, I wouldn't want anything to get in the way of our fun." This time Alice's smile was mischievous and Stella Project's _Underneath My Skin _blared through the speakers.

They had gone out to dinner first at Navya Lounge which was an Asian fusion restaurant and club. When they first arrived, Bella noticed that they had the attention of quite a few of the patrons already dining. She normally shied away from attention, but she found it easier to bear the scrutiny with her friends.

Near the end of dinner, the waiter had told them that a private party was being held in one of their banquet rooms and the guest of honor was inviting them to attend. Rosalie said they'd consider it, but once he left, Bella saw Alice's impish smile and she knew they were going.

After that, it was one club after another. It seemed where ever they went, guys were willing to buy them drinks. For the most part, they spent their time dancing and just having a good time.

Bella had made an offhand remark that this is what it was probably like to be Rosalie. She smirked at Bella and told her, "I wouldn't underestimate the girl-next-door-gone-wild look either."

Bella laughed at the remark and assumed she was talking about Angela, but later in the night after all the dancing they had done, they stopped in at a diner for pancakes and hot cocoa. Bella had gone to the restroom and on her way back to their table, a busboy walking toward the kitchen did a double take when he saw her and ran into an empty booth, dropping his tray of glasses.

Bella went to him and asked if he was alright and the guy merely stared at her. A waiter came by at that point and apologized for what happened.

Bella said it wasn't his fault and wanted to make sure he hadn't cut himself or anything. The waiter and the busboy both stared at her for a second before the busboy said, "Will you marry me?"

He couldn't have been more than seventeen years old. Bella felt a blush spreading across her cheeks. She didn't know what to say. She stammered when she said, "I'm sorry. I kind of already have a boyfriend." Then she went to join the others.

When she took her seat in the booth next to Carlie, they were all quiet and Bella asked, "What?"

She waited for someone to say something and when she saw the knowing smile on Rosalie's face, Bella said, "Don't."

Everyone tried to keep a straight face, but Rosalie's smile grew wider and she said, "How do you think Edward's going to react to someone else proposing to you?"

Bella's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

Rosalie laughed. "Of course not. But remember you can use that bit of information if he ever gets out of line."

Bella rolled her eyes and said, "Right. Because a proposal from a seventeen year old boy is a real threat."

Rosalie said, "You don't have to tell him that part."

After the late night meal of pancakes, the limo took them back to Alice's place where they parted ways, but not before promising each other they had to hang out again soon.

When they got back, Bella had taken a warm shower and crawled into bed. Bella flipped on her side, smiling to herself. It had definitely been a long night, but she enjoyed spending time with her friends. She settled deeper into the covers and nuzzled the soft pillow. In less than a minute, she was asleep.

* * * * *

Bella wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when she heard a rustling sound. She laid still and heard the door close and someone was moving around. She moved slowly and reached toward the night stand table, but there was just her cell phone. She stifled a groan and decided she would just have to go bare knuckle on who ever it was that was in here.

The person came to the foot of the bed and when they saw Bella's form under the comforter, she heard in a low voice, "What the hell?"

Recognition of the voice rang through her mind. Bella sat up.

"Edward?"

"Bella?"

It was dark, but the moonlight from the large window behind the bed faintly illuminated the room.

She asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" He narrowed his eyes and could see that she was wearing a dark tank top. "This is my room."

She hesitated before she said, "I know. Alice said you guys were playing poker at my house and would probably end up playing all night. So instead of going back home and interrupting the game, I just stayed here. If I knew you were coming back, I wouldn't have. . ."

He held up his hand. "It's alright." He lowered them and said, "Rosalie went back to your place though."

She tucked a strand of her hair back. "She was quite determined to. . . see Emmett tonight."

Edward nodded. "Right."

She realized that the rustling sound was Edward getting undressed. Even though the moonlight was faint, there was no mistaking that he was only wearing a pair of black boxers. "Well, I guess, I should get going. . ." She moved to get out of the bed.

Edward held up his hands. "What? No. You don't have to go."

"Should I. . . go back to Alice's room?"

"Jasper's there."

"Oh."

Aunt Tanya and her family were staying in the guest room. She was going to suggest she go downstairs and sleep on the couch.

Before she could make the suggestion, Edward said, "Stay."

"But-"

"Bella, it's late." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry I woke you." He walked toward the door.

She asked, "Where are you going?"

He had his hand on the door knob. "Downstairs. The couch." He turned the knob. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Wait." She pushed herself off the headboard. "You don't have to sleep on the couch."

He hesitated before he said, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything."

"I'll be uncomfortable if you slept on the couch."

He studied her face for a moment.

She said, "Like you said. It's late." She patted the spot next to her. "Come back to bed."

He took his hand off the door knob. Edward looked over at Bella. Her hair was tousled and although her actions of patting the spot next to her was quick, in Edward's mind it was an extremely provocative gesture.

He couldn't say no.

He walked toward the bed.

They both got in and pulled the comforter over themselves. They laid next to each other for a minute before Edward said, "Good night."

Then he turned on his side away from her.

"Night." Bella's voice was soft. She stared at his bare back for a second. His shoulders were so broad and she wanted to reach out and touch them. They also looked tensed. She couldn't help feeling like he was upset at her.

She turned on her side, watching him. Why would he be upset? Then she remembered when they parted earlier that night. They did not part on the best of terms. Bella didn't feel sorry though for what she said. He was being unreasonable, but she wasn't upset anymore. She wasn't sure how to fix this.

Then suddenly, he asked, "Did you have a good time tonight?"

It took a second for Bella to realize he was talking to her. "Oh. Yeah. It was lots of fun."

"I'm sure it was."

_What is that supposed to mean?_ Bella asked instead, "Did you have a good time tonight?"

"Yeah."

"What did you guys end up doing?"

It was another second before he said, "We had dinner. Then pool and then poker."

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. She couldn't help feeling annoyed. He started the conversation, but he was being sullen.

"We had a lot of fun dancing. I don't usually like dancing, but when you're with your friends, it actually can be fun." She hesitated before she said, "Plus, when you're with your friends, everyone wants to buy you drinks."

She saw Edward shift in his spot, but he didn't turn around.

She continued, "We even got invited to this private event in the restaurant's club. I wasn't sure about it at first, but once we got there, everyone was so nice."

"I'm sure they were."

She ignored his terse tone. "This one guy even offered me a job in his office. Something in human resources."

Edward grunted.

"Then there was this one guy at another club, he said he was a travel agent and if I wanted to go anywhere, he could book tickets for me." She didn't mention that he would be willing to go with her if she wanted.

"Great." Edward's tone was surly.

"But, I think the sweetest thing was when we were having pancakes and one of the busboys bought me an ice-cream sundae."

His tone was mildly curious. "An ice-cream sundae?"

"Yeah. I think he was still trying to get me to consider his proposal."

His voice was slightly raised. "Proposal?"

She giggled. "He asked me to marry him."

"Job offers. Travel tickets. Ice-cream sundaes. And even a marriage proposal." He let out a deep breath. "Sounds like you had a busy night."

"Well, you know. Just a typical evening out." She stifled a laugh.

When Edward didn't say anything. Bella bit her lip. Had she gone too far? She wanted to get some kind of reaction out of him, but instead he seemed to become even more morose. She hesitated before she moved behind him and snaked an arm around his waist.

"But you know what I told those guys each time?"

He didn't say anything, but she felt his shoulders relax.

She said, "I told them all I have a boyfriend."

"I thought my status was still pending." His voice was low with a hint of petulance.

Bella shifted in her spot so that her lips brushed against the nape of his neck. "Well, I guess if you're not interested anymore, I could go back and let them know-"

He held onto her wrist to keep her arm wrapped around him and then twisted his body to face her. "I don't think so."

He cupped her face and covered his mouth over hers.

He felt her smile against his lips and he pulled away. "What?"

"I've never seen you jealous before."

He still held her face in his hands and rested his lips on hers. "I wasn't jealous."

She raised one of her eyebrows at him.

He smiled. "Well, maybe I thought about finding the guy who proposed to you and ripping his head off."

She couldn't help laughing. Then she said, "Even though all those things happened tonight, I only thought of one thing the whole time." She raised a hand and ran her fingers through his hair.

A slow smile spread across his lips and his hand trailed down her side and rested on her hip. "What was that?"

It took a minute for Bella to respond because he was gingerly caressing his lips on hers. She pulled away just far enough so she could speak. "It was actually something that came up while we were all getting ready for tonight."

This wasn't the response he expected. His brow pinched. "Something you guys talked about?"

She nodded.

He shifted in his spot. Maybe Emmett was right. Did they really talk about sex? The idea that they all shared intimate details about their sex lives unnerved him. "Are you going to tell me what you guys talked about?"

She shook her head. "I can't divulge any secrets." Then she gave him a smile that made his heart pound. "But I might be able to show you."

Before he could say anything else, he felt Bella's hands on his shoulders, guiding him to lay back. She laid her chest on top of his and his eyes fluttered closed for a second. She was wearing a thin tank top, but he could still feel the warmth of her breasts on his chest.

She gave him a tentative kiss as if to test whether or not he was alright with her being on top of him like this, kissing him. He fought off the smile that threatened to break across his face. Instead, he looked at her with what he hoped was an expression that told her he wasn't going to resist.

Bella studied his face for a couple of seconds. Then her eyes wandered down to his bare chest. She lifted a hand to skim her fingers on his collarbone. Edward took in a sharp breath.

At the sound of his breath, Bella's eyes shifted back to Edward's face. He had a mildly stunned expression which Bella liked. She lowered her mouth onto his collarbone and licked it.

He shut his eyes again and his head fell back on the pillow. Bella used the opportunity to breathe kisses up his neck until their mouths were joined again. She took in his upper lip first with gentle pressure. Then switched to his lower lip. She repeated these actions again in a relentless manner. Edward slipped his hands under her shirt and caressed the warmth of her back.

This caused a hum of approval from Bella and the tip of her tongue licked his bottom lip. Edward groaned at the sensation.

Bella used the opportunity to tilt her head to deepen the kiss. Their tongues met without hesitation. Edward's breath became ragged and he tangled one of his hands in Bella's hair while the other gripped her waist.

He was getting ready to flip Bella on her back, but he was caught off guard when she took his tongue into her mouth and sucked on it.

She repeated this motion a few times and she could feel Edward lifting himself off the bed and pushing her back. Bella wasn't done with what she had intended to do, so to keep Edward in place, she moved one of her legs in between his and began to shower his chest with kisses.

Edward's breathing became more erratic as Bella's kisses progressed further down his chest and eventually below his navel. He gulped when she tugged down on the side of his boxers and breathed a kiss on his hip. When she repeated the action on his other hip, but felt her teeth too, he hissed.

She didn't pull down his boxers yet, but instead traced the outline of his arousal with the tip of her nose. Edward laid his head back and closed his eyes. He resisted the urge to thrust his hips at her, thinking that she probably would not appreciate the gesture. He had let her set the pace and even though it was quite torturous for him, Edward endured it because the pleasure Bella inflicted was more than he had ever hoped for.

He thought he would lose his mind, but when she stopped nuzzling him, and instead used her lips to apply gentle pressure through his boxers, Edward groaned and reached up and fisted a corner of his pillow. She then worked up the length of him and when she got to his tip, she closed her lips over it and pressed them down.

Edward had never experienced anything so erotic in all his life. He had never wanted so badly to feel her mouth on him with no barriers like he did now. It wasn't like he never wondered what it would be like to have himself inside Bella's mouth. He just never imagined that he could want it so much.

The unrelenting way she moved her lips on the tip of him caused low guttural sounds. He still gripped one of his hands on his pillow, but the other one grabbed the edge of the mattress.

His voice sounded rough to his ears. "Bell, please." He couldn't even say her name correctly.

He felt his boxers being pulled down and there was a moment of hesitation. In a moment of clarity, he thought maybe she changed her mind. Or maybe perhaps she was thinking of ways to start the slow torture again.

Before he could open his eyes to see what was going on, Bella began working him into her mouth.

The shock of her warm, wet mouth moving up and down the length of him caused him to say, "Oh god, Bella."

Unlike before when she teased and explored him, Bella gave him everything he wanted. He could feel her lips and her tongue with no barrier, no holding back whatsoever. Then she returned her attention to his tip and he moaned her name while she licked and sucked him. When he felt her hand wrap around the length of him while she continued her attention on his tip, his hips began to thrust.

After several moments, Edward felt his release was imminent. He let go of his pillow and the mattress and tangled his fingers into Bella's hair. He tugged gently, but she continued taking him in.

He struggled to get the words out. "Bella, I can't. . . I'm going to-"

Bella looked up at him which almost was the end of him. He tugged at her gently again to pull her away, but she kept looking at him with a determined expression. Then she lowered herself on top of one of his legs. The action was supposed to show Edward that she wasn't moving away, but instead he felt the dampness of her panties on his leg.

The fact that she was getting turned on by doing this to him was his undoing.

"Oh fuck, Bella."

She continued to lick and suck him. He continued to rock his hips as she did this, but it was a gentle movement that was done out of reflex rather than the urge to continue.

He felt his body go limp and that's when Bella stopped. He felt his boxers being pulled back up and then Bella laid next to him.

After a moment, Edward said, "Jesus, Bella."

She smiled even though Edward's eyes were still closed.

It was another minute before he asked, "_That's_ what you were thinking about all night?"

She let out a small laugh. "I had never done anything like that before and I was curious to see if I could."

Edward lifted his head off the pillow to look at her. "You've never done that before?"

She looked at him and blushed. "No."

"But. . ."

"It was something we talked about while we were getting ready."

Edward eyes widened.

Bella laughed. "Not like actual details. Just. . . pointers on what works."

He chuckled. "You guys could probably write a book." He turned on his side and propped himself on his elbow. "What made you decide to. . . try that?"

She looked up at him. "I've thought about it before, but. . . I've never actually wanted to."

His expression softened.

Bella licked her lips. "I wanted to show you that I want you just as much as you want me."

He raised his other hand and stroked her face. Then he lowered his face to hers and gave her a gentle kiss.

Then he laid his body on top of her chest. He began to breath kisses on her neck, shoulders, and on her collarbone.

He lifted his mouth to one of her ears. "Do you know how sexy that was?"

Bella felt Edward's knee separate her legs. Her breathing came out in irregular breaths when he lowered himself between her thighs. "What?"

Edward worked his way down and nuzzled the tips of her breasts through her tank top. "You."

She gasped when he took one of her nipples in his mouth. She wanted him to pull off her shirt. As if reading her mind, one of his hands slipped under it and squeezed the other breast while his mouth continued to play with the other.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head when she felt both of his hands under her shirt. Then she felt him push her tank top up her stomach. He kissed her navel and traced a path up her bare skin. His hands found their way back to her breasts and they fondled her nipples while he licked and kissed the underside of each of them.

She wanted to feel his mouth not just on the soft curves of her chest. She threaded her fingers in his hair and gently pulled him upward. He complied and moved her tank top with the tip of his nose and soon had taken one of her nipples in his mouth.

Bella let out a noise that sounded like a purr. Then he flattened his tongue on her nipple and swept across it, ending with the tip of his tongue taunting the hardened part. Edward repeated this action a few times which caused Bella to arch her back in a silent plea for more.

Edward switched to the other one and mirrored the same deliberate action. At this point, Bella was moaning and she was pressing her breasts into Edward's mouth. Rather than pulling back, he lapped and took in her breasts in his mouth with no hesitation.

Edward began to work his way down her ribcage and then her navel. He held on to her hips. Bella held her breath in anticipation, but nothing happened.

Edward's voice was clear. "What's this?"

Her eyes flew open and she saw where his gaze was.

He asked, "What happened to the thong?"

Bella cursed and rolled her tank top down, so that it also covered her underwear. Edward tried pulling up her tank top again, but Bella yanked it back down.

She felt her cheeks burn. "We should go back to sleep."

He shook his head. "I don't think so." He tried moving her top up again, but Bella wriggled away.

"Edward, don't."

"What? Why?"

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you tonight."

"So? Why won't you let me see your underwear."

She hesitated before she said, "It's kind of embarrassing."

He waited for her to explain.

After a moment, she let out a deep sigh. "I told Rosalie and Alice I'd wear the thong if I got to pick out a pair of underwear I liked. So. . . I went into one of those specialty gag stores and I found. . . this pair. At first, I bought them to annoy Alice and Rosalie, but. . ." She shifted in her spot.

"What?"

She shrugged. "I liked them."

"Will you let me see?"

"You promise not to laugh?"

"I promise."

She studied his face and saw that he was being sincere. She laid back down and lifted her tank top to reveal her underwear.

It was some kind of cartoon character, but Edward didn't recognize it.

He said, "Uh. . . okay."

She stared up at him. "You don't know who it is?"

He sat back on his heels and shook his head.

Her eyes widened for a second and then she let out a small laugh. "It's Dexter."

His brow furrowed. "Dexter?"

"Dexter from _Dexter's Laboratory_."

He shrugged.

She propped herself on her elbows. "You really don't know?" When he shook his head again. Bella smiled and said, "Well, he's this super science genius who does these epic experiments in his parents' basement."

"In the basement?"

She nodded. "But, not anyone can just stroll in. He's secretive about it, but he has this sister who manages to interfere sometimes."

He chuckled. "I didn't know you liked this cartoon so much."

She looked away. "I don't. I mean, I didn't, but that was before."

"Before what?"

She still didn't look up at him, but she felt her cheeks burn.

Edward reached down, cupped his hand under her thigh, and started rubbing circles on her skin. "Before what?" he asked again.

She felt desire begin to simmer in the pit of her stomach at his touch. She licked her lips and then looked up at him. "Before I got my own super science genius who's almost found a cure for cancer."

He let her confession sink in and when it did he gave her a lopsided grin. "I don't know if I'd say _super_ science genius." He lowered his head and kissed her knee. "Science genius will do."

She laughed.

He smiled and then began leaving a trail of feathery kisses starting from her knee down her inner thigh. He was now laying on his stomach, propped on his elbows.

Bella could hardly breathe normally. The sight of Edward's face between her thighs, hovering just above her caused the simmer of desire to start boiling. Her skin felt warm and she shifted her hips in anticipation.

He dipped his head down and nudged the picture of Dexter on her panties with the tip of his nose. "So, Dexter doesn't like visitors in his lab?"

Just one inconsequential touch and Bella could feel her thighs heat up. "No, not usually."

He dipped his head down and moved the tip of his nose in circles over her panties. "Do you think Dexter would mind if I visited?"

Bella could barely get any words out because he was kissing the skin just above the waistline of her panties. "Uh. . . I don't think Dexter is ready for anyone to use his lab for experiments."

Edward stared at the cartoon character print. Dexter's arms were crossed and he wore a smug expression.

He decided to try a different tactic. "I would never jump into conducting an experiment without first familiarizing myself with the. . . equipment."

Bella almost laughed, but instead let out a sharp gasp when Edward's lips pressed down on her most sensitive spot.

He lifted his head up. "If that's okay with Dexter."

Her mind was so fuzzy and she was having a hard time forming coherent sentences. "But. . ." Edward's lips resumed their attention on her. She struggled to say the rest. "No one's ever. . ."

Edward lifted his face. "You mean no one's ever. . . tasted you before?"

Her skin already felt overheated, but she was sure she was blushing. She shook her head. "I never. . . I thought it would be awkward."

Edward's brow furrowed. She was willing to put him in her mouth, but she thought it was awkward to have someone else's mouth on her? "Why would it be awkward?"

She licked her lips in a nervous gesture. "It's. . . I don't think anyone has ever wanted to do that to me."

He stared at her in disbelief. Didn't she just tell him that men were throwing themselves at her all night? He was sure anyone of them would trade places with him in a heartbeat.

Bella misunderstood his expression and tried to move from her spot.

He held down one of her hips. "What are you doing?"

She looked away from him. "You don't have to. . . just because I did. I wasn't expecting you to."

"Do you not want me to?" He waited for her to answer, but she continued to avoid looking at him. He squeezed her hip which caused her jump and look at him. "Bella? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

She heard the concern in his voice and saw his worried expression. "No. It's the total opposite."

His eyebrows shot up.

She let out a deep breath. "I've never been so. . . preoccupied like this. I've never spent hours thinking about going down on a guy before. I didn't understand why a woman would want to do something like that because it just seemed so. . . demeaning. But then, when I imagined doing those things to _you_ and imagining how you'd react, if I could get any kind of reaction, I. . ." She gave him a shy look before she looked away. "I got so turned on."

Edward's mouth fell open.

"Then I felt weird for feeling that way because I'd never felt like that for anyone before." She pushed back the distracting image of seeing Edward's eyes shut tight and mouth fallen open, making incoherent noises while she had him in her mouth. "Then it all made sense."

"What did?"

"This afternoon when we were talking about it. All of them don't do this just because they felt they had to. They really want the other person."

Edward hesitated before he said, "Bella, yesterday I showed you how much I wanted you."

She sat up. "I know, but. . ."

He sat up and was sitting between her legs. "You don't believe me?"

Her eyes widened. "No, it's not that. You were just so sweet and gentle yesterday. I didn't think you wanted me. . . that way."

He gave her a small smile. "Bella, I've spent the last seven years wanting you and I can assure you, sometimes it wasn't always in the sweet and gentle way."

Bella gulped.

He covered his mouth roughly over hers and sucked on her bottom lip. Then he pulled away and breathed a kiss below her ear. "You've thought about having me in your mouth all evening." He sucked on the fleshy part of her earlobe before he said, "I've thought about tasting you for the last seven years and. . . in a lot of different ways."

Bella felt herself being pushed back down on the bed while Edward continued his assault on her neck and collarbone. There was no hesitance when he pulled off her top and continued assaulting her breasts.

He moved down her body, leaving a trail between her breasts, down her ribcage, and then tracing circles on her abdomen.

She felt his hands on her hips and then move around to caress her inner thighs. At this point, low gasps and ragged breathing came from Bella, but when he brought his hands around and his fingers grazed over her, she arched her back and moaned.

She then felt his thumbs skim the soft skin at the edge of her panties. Bella spread her legs wider, an invitation for Edward to do more. He slid his thumbs under the fabric that covered her most sensitive areas.

Bella fisted the bed sheet. He was flicking his thumbs up and down just outside her entrance and when they glided over it, she let out a throaty whimper. He resumed stroking the area, but then she felt pressure from his mouth at her entrance. She let out another desperate whimper.

When he was exploring her with his thumbs, he was testing to see how much she would allow him to do. When he felt her wetness, he lost all train of thought and immediately wanted to taste her. She had soaked through her underwear and he tasted a sweetness that drove him over the edge.

"It's time for Dexter to say good-bye." He withdrew his hands from under her panties and proceeded to tug them off Bella's hips.

He stared at her naked body for a minute. He was more than ready to take her right now and he knew she was too, but he reminded himself this wasn't about what he wanted. Bella never saw herself clearly and he wanted to show her how she inspired so much passion in him.

Bella threw her head back on the pillow when she felt Edward's mouth on her again, but this time he wasn't hindered by any clothing. He used deliberate motions with his tongue to taste her. She'd never felt anything so exquisite and torturous at the same time. She didn't want him to stop, yet she wanted more.

As if reading her mind, Edward's tongue moved upward and she felt the tip of it press against her bundle of nerves which seemed to be more sensitive than it had ever been before. Her back arched in response and her hands fisted in Edward's hair.

After a few more flicks, Bella felt her body release and she moaned Edward's name.

She tried to move away, but Edward held her in place, continuing the lapping motions with his tongue.

"Edward, what-" She let out a deep gasp when she felt his thumb gently circle her entrance. The combination of the movements with his tongue and thumb caused her inner muscles to squeeze involuntary.

She couldn't help it and her thighs tightened around Edward's head. He reached under her knee and lifted it so it was over his shoulder. Then cupped her behind. He motioned for the other leg and Bella complied. The new position enabled her to rock her hips against his mouth which caused Edward to groan.

Bella's body shuddered. She was very close again which Edward seemed to sense. He withdrew his tongue from its place and proceeded to glide down toward her entrance. Bella's hips began moving in a more urgent manner, so Edward pushed the tip of his tongue into her entrance which caused Bella's muscle to tighten and convulse erratically. He thrust in and out a few times. Bella pulled at his hair to hold him in place while she ground her hips on his face. Edward lifted her hips off the bed which allowed him deeper access.

"Oh god, Edward. You're going to get me again."

She felt herself falling away, but then Edward withdrew his tongue from inside of her and returned it to her sensitive area of nerves. Her feelings intensified and she held onto the headboard while her body was getting ready to shatter. Then Edward reached up an massaged one of her breasts which pushed Bella over the edge.

She moaned, "Edward," before her body tightened and then shook violently.

Edward gently untangled her legs from his shoulders and kissed her thighs and stomach which caused another round of tremors through her body. He pulled the covers over them and brought her to him so her head rested on his chest.

Edward brushed away the hair on her face and ran his fingers through it. It seemed to help her steady her breath. Once her breathing was regulated, he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

It was silent for a minute before Bella said, "You are welcome to test out Dexter's equipment anytime."

"Bella." He kissed her forehead. "Dexter's been kicked out. It's Mr. Dazzling's laboratory now."

She smiled and nuzzled her face on his chest. He tightened his arms around her and they both drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

**Chapter Playlist:**

Bella's ring tone for Edward: _Take It Off_ by The Donnas

Edward's ring tone for Bella: _I'm Yours_ by Jason Mraz

Song in the limo: _Underneath My Skin _by Stella Project

Songs for Dexter's scene: _Criminal _by Fiona Apple (For Bella's part) and _Still Remains_ by Stone Temple Pilots (For Edward's part)

**Author's Note:**

If you've made it this far, you get 98949588 gold stars. I'm so sorry for the delay in posting. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Some of you had said that you were looking forward to the girls' night. It could've easily have spanned several chapters with the guys' night out, but instead most of it got paraphrased b/c I wanted to focus on moving B/E's story along. I hope you guys aren't too disappointed with the way I wrote this part of the story.

Thank you for the PM's and reviews for this story. It's been a little over 2 months since I've posted, and I still get PM's and reviews saying how much you all are enjoying this story and how you're looking forward to more. The encouragement and support really means a lot to me.

For those of you who are unaware of the reason why I wasn't posting for a while, RL has been really hectic. My family welcomed our newest addition three weeks early, so things got turned upside down here. Fortunately, it's all starting to calm down now and I've been able to get back to this story.

But please know that I am NEVER giving up on this story. I can't promise that I'll be posting regularly, but I will finish. In fact, there are 3 chapters left. I'm in the middle of the next one already.

Special thanks to spotzle and vjgm for getting this chapter back to me so fast. I highly recommend vjgm's new story _Trust in Advertising. _It's posted over at twilighted(dot)net. (She is the author of the infamous story _Barflies and Boycotts.)_

Also, a special thanks to the ladies at the AU/AH Forum at twilighted. I appreciate all the love you've shown for this story. If you have questions or just want to drop a line, please join us in the MBBF thread. I post teasers there too.

Again, thank you all so much for sticking with me and being patient. The end is near and I am quite determined to see it through.

And for all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

XO

Jenn


	18. Chapter 18: Pink Tulips

This chapter is dedicated to **Molly**. I hope we get to see some of your stories some day and that this will provide some small entertainment until that day comes. And to **Carol**. From one mother to another, if there was a way to bottle the strength you possess, I would be the first in line to buy it.

Note: Word Count +10,000

**Chapter 18 "Pink Tulips"**

But oh, how I struggled in vain,

to solve this riddle with my brain

when the answer's in my hands.

So I wanna move you around.

Got to turn you inside out.

Yeah, I wanna move you,

I wanna move you around.

I wanna move you,

I wanna move you around.

- "Move You" Anya Marina

Bella stood under the shower head and soaked up the warm water. She couldn't keep the goofy grin off her face. When she got home, Rosalie and Emmett were already up and noticed her silly expression, but she disappeared upstairs before they could question her.

If she didn't have to come home to help get the place ready for her dad's arrival later that afternoon, Bella would still be in Edward's bed right now. She felt her body grow warm.

After a night with the girls and the late night activities between her and Edward, Bella had fallen into a deep, yet blissful sleep in his arms. She had never felt so loved and safe before.

And so desired.

Bella couldn't remember what her dream was about, but she was sleeping hard until she felt the gentle exploration of Edward's hands on her body. She had fallen asleep so fast the night before that she hadn't put her clothes back on.

She was in between the state of sleep and consciousness when she felt his lips on her shoulder. She tried to ask him what was happening, but all that came out was an inarticulate sound. Edward took it as an invitation and his explorations become more bold.

Her eyes flew open when he began trailing kisses down her body. His destination was quite obvious. Her eagerness for him surprised her. Just hours ago they explored each other's bodies. She experienced pleasure she had only imagined. When she drifted off to sleep, she had felt satiated and content. Now, she felt this unfathomable yearning to be with Edward again.

However, two things prevented Edward from continuing his mission: the call of nature and her cell phone vibrating on the night stand.

Edward told her to ignore it, but there was something in the back of Bella's mind that told her she should answer it. And besides, she really had to go to the bathroom, too.

She wiggled out of Edward's grasp to retrieve her phone which caused him to groan in frustration. The message was from Emmett telling her that dad had called and should be arriving at their house by late afternoon.

Bella checked the time on her phone and was surprised that it was almost eleven in the morning. She had moved to get out of bed, but Edward held her back. He told her that he had imagined countless times waking up with her naked in his bed, and he wasn't quite ready to give up the dream yet.

He used very persuasive methods in getting her to stay, and they might have worked if Bella's bladder wasn't about to explode.

She was reluctant to leave Edward's bed and was quick to throw on some clothes. She had dashed out of his room to use the bathroom and clean up a little before she returned to say goodbye to Edward.

When she got back, he was sitting on the edge of his bed still only clad in his boxers and wearing a small smile on his lips.

She had raised an eyebrow at him because of the shameless way his eyes took her in. Before she could ask him what he was thinking, he had taken two long strides toward her and covered his mouth over hers. She didn't know when or how, but he had also taken the time to clean himself up and he tasted like mint and had a citrus scent on his skin.

She pulled away to catch her breath. "You're making it really difficult for me to leave."

"Good." He kissed her again.

She kissed him back, but then pulled away when she felt the tip of his tongue on her lower lip. "Edward, I really have to go. I don't want to have to explain to my brother and my dad that I'm coming home in the middle of the afternoon because my boyfriend kept trying to get me back in bed."

"And not very successfully either." He wrapped his arms around her and proceeded to drag his lips down the curve of her neck.

His breath on her skin caused her to giggle. "You can be so possessive sometimes."

He lifted his head and looked at her. "I can't help it."

"I can tell." She ran her fingers through his hair. "Maybe I should call you Mr. Dazzling- Caveman."

Although her tone was teasing, Edward took a step back. "I'm sorry about that."

"Sorry about what?" She took a step toward him.

"Last night. The things I said. The way I. . ." He let out a short sigh. "I know you would never. . . I just. . ." He shook his head and looked away.

"What?" She gave him a gentle poke on his chest.

Her expression was of genuine concern that he didn't deserve. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you last night."

She slid her hand up his chest. "I wasn't."

He shook his head, trying to clear the fog Bella's touch created. "Not for that." He held her hand, stopping the slow progress down his stomach. "I trust you."

Bella was surprised by his comment, but she was quick to replace the shocked expression with a slow smile.

Bella leaned forward and pressed her lips onto his.

He knew he had been forgiven.

Soon things became more passionate, but Bella tore herself away. Edward was reluctant to let her go, but realized that he didn't want to start this new aspect of their relationship by leaving a bad impression on Emmett and Charlie.

Bella was now out of the shower and in her room getting dressed. She still wore that giddy smile on her face.

When she went downstairs to the kitchen, she didn't even notice Emmett and Rosalie sitting at the kitchen table, observing her while she poured some juice in a glass.

She took a sip and almost choked when Rosalie said, "Someone got lucky last night."

Emmett groaned and Bella coughed.

Then Emmett stood up from the table. "I'm going to. . . the grocery store. Stock up on some beer and pretzels before dad gets here." He gave Rosalie a pointed look before he turned to Bella and said, "Rose needs to talk to you about something."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and then gave Bella a sympathetic look.

Emmett headed toward the front door, but turned around and said, "Bella, I. . . I'm happy that you're happy, but I also want you to be careful." He looked like he was going to say something more, but instead he looked at Rosalie one more time before leaving.

When they heard the front door shut, Bella looked at Rosalie, "What was that about?"

Rosalie let out a long sigh. "Emmett is. . . a little worried about you and Edward. . . taking things to the next level."

Bella groaned and threw her head back. "We're not in high school anymore."

Rosalie stood up and held up her hands. "I know. And believe me, I've gone through this with Emmett already."

Bella's shoulders relaxed. "Thank you."

Rosalie walked over to her. "But he made me promise to talk to you about. . . being careful."

She looked at Rosalie in disbelief. "He wants you to give me the birds and the bees talk?"

Rosalie let out a small laugh. "Something like that."

Bella sagged against the counter. "This is ridiculous."

"I know, but you know Emmett. He's been doing that over protective brother thing for a very long time and it's not easy for him to just shut it off."

Bella nodded. After a minute, she said, "Okay. So what are you supposed to tell me?"

"I'm supposed to tell you when you do decide to have sex with Edward, use a condom."

Bella cringed and felt her face grow warm. "Emmett told you to tell me that?"

She nodded. "It's what he wanted to say, but he was afraid it would be really awkward."

Bella cringed again. "Yeah. No kidding."

"If you think about it, it's actually kind of sweet."

She shrugged. "I guess so." She looked at Rosalie. "Was there anything else he wanted me to know?"

Rosalie shook her head, but hesitated before she said, "Emmett realizes since your mom isn't around much that it's probably hard for you when it comes to stuff like this because you don't have anyone to talk to about it."

Bella was getting out cereal. "It's not that big of a deal."

Rosalie watched while Bella poured milk into the bowl. "Well, I just want you to know if you ever want to talk. . . you can talk to me."

She was chewing, but stopped at Rosalie's words. She quickly swallowed and said, "Oh, Rose. I don't want you to feel like you have to do this."

"It's not like that, Bella." She took a deep breath before she said, "It's not official and he hasn't asked, but it's pretty clear between me and Emmett that we're going to have a future together."

Bella's eyes widened. "You mean. . . you want to marry Emmett and he wants to marry you."

Rosalie smiled. "Eventually, but we're just taking it one step at a time."

Bella threw her arms around Rosalie. "That would be so wonderful."

Rosalie hugged her back. "Thank you."

After a moment, they parted and Rosalie said, "So, if there's anything you want to talk about, I plan to be around for a while."

Bella laughed. Then after a minute, she said, "How did you know that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Emmett?"

Rosalie's expression softened. "I don't know. There were so many little things about Emmett that I thought was wonderful and then all of a sudden it hit me that I had fallen in love with him."

She had a far away look in her eyes as she continued, "I guess if I had to pin point the moment I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Emmett, it was when we were all at the cabin. It was that night we had the bonfire. Emmett was going on about catching this huge fish one summer when he was a kid. I thought it was silly, but watching him talk with Jasper and how serious about it he was, I couldn't help imagining what it would be like to have a little boy who loved the outdoors and had a big heart."

Rosalie shifted in her spot. "Then I started thinking I wanted a little boy just like Emmett. The idea was insane, but completely made sense."

Bella blinked several times and said, "You actually want to have Emmett's babies?"

Rosalie threw her head back and laughed. "Is that so wrong?"

Bella shoveled some cereal into her mouth.

Rosalie shook her head and then asked, "So, when did you know you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Edward?"

Bella coughed and cleared her throat. "We haven't really-"

"I'm not talking about if you guys talked about it yet. I'm talking about when you knew that Edward was the one."

Bella sipped her juice while Rosalie gave her an expectant look. After a second, Bella put her glass down. "I always figured Edward would be in my life in some way. Obviously because of Emmett and Alice, but. . . even when he was gone, I knew he'd somehow end up in my life again."

She went to the sink to pour out the milk in her bowl. "I used to think that eventually we'd find each other again, but at that point we'd have our own lives, our own families. We'd be friendly acquaintances." Bella's heart grew heavy at the thought.

Rosalie asked, "And now?"

Bella thought for a minute. "Now, I'm just glad that we've found each other again and we feel this way. I haven't really let myself think about the future because. . . things are going really well right now and I don't want to jinx myself."

Rosalie nodded. "I can understand that. Every new relationship starts off that way." Then she gave her a small smile. "But, it's okay to think about it, you know?"

Bella shrugged. "I just. . . I'm just enjoying what we have right now."

She arched an eyebrow at her. "And how much enjoyment are you getting?"

Bella felt her cheeks burn. "Rosalie!"

"What? You didn't come back until almost noon! And might I add you were wearing a morning-after-grin."

"I was not!"

"Oh, please. You were still wearing it when you came downstairs."

"I. . ." Bella realized that Rose was right. She shifted in her spot. "We ended up spending the night together and it was. . . nice."

Rosalie's eyebrows shot up. "Did you guys-"

"No." Bella hesitated before she said, "We just. . . fooled around a little bit. That's all."

"A little bit?"

"What?"

"Bella, you don't take a shower and smile like you're on some kind of happy pill if you fooled around just a little bit."

"Rose," Bella's voice grounded out.

She held up her hands. "I wasn't asking for details. I just wanted to make sure you guys were being safe."

"Yeah, right."

She continued, "And if you ever want advice or anything, I'm here too."

"Advice?"

Rosalie smirked. "Don't pretend like you weren't listening in on our conversation last night when we talked about what makes a great blow job."

Bella felt her whole face burn. "I-I didn't-"

"It's okay, Bella. All I'm saying is that if you ever want to talk about sex, I'm here."

Bella blushed and thought for a minute. She hesitated before she said, "There is something I've been thinking about."

Rosalie waited for Bella to continue.

She looked over her shoulder. "Maybe we can talk in my room? I don't really like the idea of Emmett coming home and hearing this."

Rosalie laughed. "Sure."

They walked upstairs and Bella shut the door once they were in. They took a seat on her bed.

Rosalie asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

Bella hesitated again. "It's just. . . normally I'd confide in Alice or Angela about things, but. . . well, when it comes to. . . my love life, I don't really like talking about it with them."

"Why not?"

She shifted in her spot. "For obvious reasons, I can't talk to Alice about Edward because that would just be too awkward. I mean, I don't mind talking to her about how things are going, but discussing the physical aspects of our relationship. . ."

"It's not a big deal, but if you're not comfortable then I understand."

She nodded. "And Angela. . ." Bella licked her lips before she said, "From some of the things she mentioned last night. . . she seems to have a hard time getting Ben interested. . ."

Bella became flustered and Rosalie patted her knee. "It's okay. Just spit it out."

"Well, it's just. . . you seem more in touch with that side of yourself than everyone else."

"Is that a nice way of saying that I'm experienced?"

Bella's eyes widened. "No! I meant that you don't seem to have any hang ups about sex. At all."

Rosalie thought for a few seconds. "I understand, but that didn't happen over night."

A soft crease occupied Bella's forehead.

Rosalie continued, "There was a lot of trial and error I had to go through before I learned what I really liked."

"Like experimenting?"

"Well, more like keeping an open mind."

After a minute, she asked, "So, is it normal to. . . think about it a lot?"

"It's perfectly normal."

Bella let out a frustrated sigh. "But I mean, a lot. Like being almost obsessed with it."

Rosalie arched an eyebrow at her.

She felt her face become flush.

Rosalie erased the expression and said, "That can happen when you're with someone you care deeply about."

"Really? Because if you care about someone so much, shouldn't you be more. . ."

"More?"

Bella shrugged. "Sweet?"

Rosalie's brow wrinkled.

Bella bent forward, rested her elbows on her knees, and cradled her forehead in her hands. "Last night, I. . . did something with Edward that I'd never done with another guy before. He really liked it and I was surprised how much I liked it too. Mostly because of. . . how he reacted. Because I was the one to make him react that way." One of her hands fell away, but she kept one hand on her forehead. "Then I started thinking of other things that I could do to get him to react the same way and these are things that I've never thought about before and I feel like. . ."

When she didn't continued, Rosalie asked, "What?"

Bella's other hand fell away and she looked up at Rosalie with an expression of guilt. "I feel like a sex-fiend or something."

Rosalie tilted her head back and laughed.

"It's not funny!"

"No, I'm not laughing at you. I think it's cute."

"It's cute that I imagine doing things to Edward just so I could hear him moan my name?"

Rosalie stifled another laugh. "Bella, this is what happens when you hit puberty."

Bella's mouth dropped and she smacked Rosalie on the leg. "That's not funny."

"When you and Edward were in high school, you never had those kind of thoughts about him?"

"No!"

Rosalie gave her an incredulous look. "Come on! High school is when those thoughts are oozing out of your pores."

"Well, they weren't for me." Bella moved to sit on the floor and leaned her back against the bed. "It was a really confusing time. I knew I was in love with Edward, but. . . he practically ignored me when I realized it. My fantasies were mostly about getting a chance to talk to him." Her voice was low. "Or just even getting him to notice me."

Rosalie looked down at Bella who was hugging her knees. After a moment, Rosalie reached out and stroked Bella's hair. "Well, now you don't have that problem. You have his full attention and he's definitely noticed you."

She let out a small laugh.

Rosalie continued stroking her hair. "So, why do these thoughts about Edward bother you?"

"I care so much about him, but. . . I've been getting so caught up in these feelings of. . . I don't know if it's lust or what, but. . . just a few days ago we talked about taking things slow and we acknowledged that we had feelings for each other and now we're at a point where we can't seem to keep our hands off each other."

"And that surprises you?"

Bella thought about it. "Edward made a comment that if we knew how we felt about each other in high school, we probably wouldn't be able to keep our hands off each other and I thought he was joking. Now. . . I think I get what he means." She hesitated before she added, "When he looks at me, I want to be near him. When I'm near him, I want him to be touching me. When's he's touching me. . . it's still not enough. How can that be possible? I feel like at some point we'll consume each other and then what will be left?"

"You'll have each other."

Bella looked up at Rosalie's comment.

Rosalie stopped her attention on Bella's hair and gave her a serious expression. "What you're feeling is perfectly normal when you're in love. I mean, there's different kinds of love, but it is love."

Bella let out a deep sigh of relief. After a moment, she said, "Will it always be like this?"

Rosalie shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Bella craned her neck at Rosalie and gave her a look of shock. "Body parts are going to fall off and I'll look worse than the Joker with that stupid grin if we keep going at it like this."

Rosalie laughed. "Yeah? And?"

Bella settled back against the bed and contemplated the prospect of more nights like the one before with Edward.

"Ah. So anytime you have that stupid grin on your face, I'll know you're thinking naughty thoughts about Edward."

Bella wiped the expression off her face. "Is it that obvious?"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't lick your lips like you're thinking of-."

"I was not!"

There was a knock on the door. "Is everything alright in there?"

It was Emmett. Bella stood up and went to open her bedroom door.

Emmett stood in the door way, looking at Bella and then looking at Rosalie for some kind of clue as to how things were going.

Bella rolled her eyes and said, "Everything's fine. Rosalie did her duty, so you and I don't have to. . . talk about me and Edward."

Emmett let out huge sigh. "Good."

Bella shook her head. "I guess I'll check if the guest room is presentable."

"I already did."

Bella looked at her brother in surprise.

Emmett had an affronted expression on his face. "While you guys were having your talk, I got a few things done around here."

Bella blinked several times before a smile broke across her face. She threw her arms around Emmett's neck and said, "Thank you so much for letting me talk about my sex life with Rosalie."

Emmett quickly pulled Bella away. "I'm going to go clean out the rain gutters." And he was gone before Bella could say anything else.

Rosalie giggled and stood up. "You know, he really was trying to be nice."

Bella shrugged. "I know, but I have to keep him in check, you know?" Before they left her room, Bella turned to Rosalie and said, "Thank you."

* * * * *

Once Edward showered and got dressed, he made his way downstairs to find something to eat. It was almost noon and he couldn't help wearing a satisfied smile as he descended the stairs.

It was an odd mixture of exhilaration and freedom to be able to just be honest with your feelings. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so carefree and right with the world.

The fact that he had Bella naked in his bed a few hours ago might have also added to that state of euphoria as well.

He was expecting the kitchen and family room to be buzzing with activity, but to his surprise it was empty. Before Edward could rummage through the fridge for something to eat, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He couldn't help smiling that it was probably Bella, but when he looked at the screen, his expression turned into a frown.

It was a text from his intern at work. His intern, Collin, would only text him if it was necessary and would usually contact him through email. It was the third text since this morning and each one stated to call back as soon as possible.

He let out a short sigh and dialed.

Collin picked up on the first ring. "Edward? Geez. Dude, where the hell have you been?"

Edward opened the fridge door. "In case you've forgotten, it's the day before my sister's wedding and things have been a little hectic." It was a little lie, but he couldn't very well tell him that he had been caught up with trying to make things right with Bella.

"Oh, right. That's tomorrow. I'm sorry, but you know I wouldn't call if it wasn't important."

Edward took out fixings for a sandwich and a beer. "So what's so urgent?"

Collin launched into one of his characteristic mile a minute word vomit regurgitation of what had been going on at the lab and ending with, "And Dr. Prusiner is like going crazy because it's the CDC. They're like, 'We want results' and Dr. P is like 'You'll get them when we have them' and they're all like, 'Not good enough' and he's like 'This is my lab and if you don't like it, you can go-"

"Yeah, I can imagine what he said." Dr. Prusiner had won prestigious awards and Edward held him in the highest respect. However, a little known fact about Dr. Pruisner was that he was a crotchety old man who was territorial about his lab. He was given full reign over it and since his lab was successful, the university never bothered him.

Dr. Pruisner didn't get caught up in the politics of research. He didn't do what he did because he wanted a name for himself. Dr. Pruisner loved science which impressed Edward and motivated him to work hard on his own research.

So when Edward had made a critical discovery in furthering the understanding of cancer research and its cure, it was as if he became _the _person to consult on all matters regarding cancer research.

And Dr. Pruisner's reaction to his discovery? A gruff pat on the back and a gravelly, "Well done" as he disappeared into his office.

It took Edward a while to understand, but since Dr. Pruisner was not married, Edward realized that he viewed him as an adoptive son. They never talked about things outside of science, the lab, or the current research, so for Dr. Pruisner to acknowledge him in such a way, it was quite touching.

It was one thing for Dr. Pruisner to take notice, but when the Center of Disease Control is interested, it's nothing to take lightly.

Collin was going on about how scary it's been with the CDC on their backs and how Dr. Pruisner kept himself locked in his office most of the time. Edward was able to finish his sandwich during Colin's verbal outpouring and after he took a long sip of his beer, he said, "Dude, calm down."

It was quiet for a moment and then Collin said, "Yeah, you're right. It's just. . . it's been really unpleasant working here lately." He let out a deep breath and said, "I'll be so glad when you're back next week."

Edward had been cleaning up, but stilled his movements at Collin's remark. "What are you talking about?"

"Uh. . . you're supposed to be coming back next week." There was some papers rustling in the background. Then Collin said, "Yeah. You marked it right here on the calendar. You're supposed to be back in the lab on Monday."

Edward thought for a minute and remembered that he was supposed to fly back Sunday. It was Friday. With everything going on, he had somehow put it out of his mind. "Collin, about that? I think I'm going to have push that back."

His voice cracked. "What?"

"Look, something's come up and I. . . I can't leave yet."

"What are you talking about? You said that once your sister's wedding was over, there wouldn't be any reason to stay longer and you'd be back as soon as possible."

Edward dragged his hand through his hair. It never crossed his mind when he decided to come back that things with Bella would develop this way. "Look, things here are. . . complicated. It'll take time for me to sort things out."

"Edward, you do realize we're up against a deadline? I mean, this is the CDC. I thought you wanted this. I thought you were considering the offer with them."

He scrubbed his forehead. "Collin, I'm going to have to talk to you later. I have to go."

"But Edward-"

"Just let me get through the wedding and have this time with my family without any interruptions."

It was a second before he said, "You're right, Edward. I'm really sorry to have bothered you with this. I hope your sister's wedding goes well and you have a nice visit with your family."

"Thanks." They said their goodbyes and Edward put his phone away.

Edward was about to go back upstairs to look up his flight, when he heard his Aunt Tanya's baby crying. The sound was coming from the patio, so Edward went to investigate.

When he stepped out, he was surprised that it wasn't Aunt Tanya with baby Sarah, but it was Alice. She held the baby in her arms with a bottle.

Edward approached the bench they occupied. "Alice? What are you doing out here alone?" He looked around and saw a bouncer at Alice's feet and a few magazines stacked next to her.

Alice was soothing Sarah by rocking her and holding the bottle up to her mouth. "I'm watching the baby."

"Yeah. I kind of got that. Where's mom and Aunt Tanya?" He moved the magazines to the end of the bench and sat next to Alice, watching the baby.

"They went shopping. Aunt Tanya wanted to get something non-motherly to wear to the rehearsal dinner tonight."

"Non-motherly? What does that mean?"

Alice let out a small laugh. "She just wanted something that didn't scream 'I'm a nursing mother and have to wear special tops to get to my boobs so I can feed my baby'."

Edward winced. "That was more than I needed to know."

Alice shrugged. "Her words. Not mine."

"How come you didn't go shopping with them?"

"I was happy to stay behind with the baby."

Edward gave her a skeptical look.

"That and I think mom and Aunt Tanya were overdue to have some sister bonding time. I mean, it's not like they don't, but I thought it would be nice to let them have time together without having to worry about the wedding or the baby."

"That's very nice of you." He had a small smile on his face. "I know it must've been a great sacrifice to forgo shopping and helping to pick out Aunt Tanya's outfit."

"Oh, you don't think I'd actually just let them go without giving them advice, do you? I told them about a few stores that have what Aunt Tanya had in mind."

Edward laughed.

Sarah finished her bottle, so Alice got ready to burp her.

"You're very good with her."

Alice shook her head. "It's easy when they're so new. They either want to eat, sleep, or have their diaper changed."

"Yeah. I guess you're right, but I think you'd make a good mom."

Alice looked up at him. "Thanks, but that's not going to be for a while."

"I know. I'm just saying."

One of Alice's eyebrows arched. "Is there something you're trying to butter me up for?"

Edward shook his head. "Can't I just pay my sister a compliment?"

She looked at Edward for a few seconds before a small smile appeared on her lips. "This wouldn't have anything to do with last night, would it?"

Edward shifted in his spot. "Last night? What are you talking about?"

Alice settled back in her seat and wore a pleased expression. "You know. After a long night with the guys, I'm sure it was nice to come back home to find a gorgeous woman sleeping in your bed."

"Bella thought that I'd be sleeping over at her place since we were up playing poker so late." He gave her a suspicious look. "But I'm sure she wouldn't have thought that if someone didn't put the idea into her head."

She gave him a wide grin before she said, "Please, you don't have to thank me."

Edward shook his head. "Alice."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Edward. Are you really going to be upset that I sort of tricked Bella into spending the night in your room?"

Edward opened and closed his mouth a few times before he said, "I didn't say I was upset. I just. . ."

"What?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "It was a surprise. A pleasant surprise."

"A pleasant surprise?" Alice gave him a look of disbelief. "Just pleasant? You both didn't leave your room until almost noon. I'd say it was more than pleasant."

He couldn't help smiling.

"Oh my gosh! You're blushing!" Alice pointed at his face.

"No, I'm not." He shifted in his spot.

Alice practically bounced in her spot. "So I guess this means things between you and Bella have been fixed?"

He shook his head and wiped the smile off his face. "I wouldn't say fixed, but more like. . . on track."

Alice nodded.

Edward's face became thoughtful.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Edward was thinking about his imminent flight on Sunday back to California. He thought about delaying his return, but he realized that Collin was right. He couldn't ignore his responsibilities at the lab. How was he going to tell Bella? He had promised that he wasn't leaving and now he was leaving in just a matter of days.

"Edward?" Alice asked.

He contemplated for a second whether or not he should talk to Alice about it. He decided against it. She had enough to worry about with the wedding the next day. Plus, he could imagine her going into dramatics about his dilemma and he really didn't want that.

"Yeah. I was just thinking. . . I'm going over Bella's later."

Alice didn't bother hiding a knowing smile. "Miss her already?"

"Yeah. No. I. . ." He chuckled. "Well, yes, but her dad is coming in this afternoon."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And. . ."

He lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "And. . . I think maybe I should. . . introduce myself?"

"Introduce yourself? He already knows you, Edward." She let out a small laugh and then understanding dawned in her features. "Oh wait, you mean introduce yourself as her boyfriend?"

He couldn't help it and felt the top of his ears burn. "Uh. . . something like that."

She let out a long, "Awww!"

He rolled his eyes. "Alice."

"You should bring flowers."

"Flowers?"

"And. . ." Her eyes inspected his clothes. "Are you going to wear that?"

He held up his hand. "I'll get flowers, but I'm not going to change."

Alice eyed his charcoal colored t-shirt and dark jeans with a mild look of disdain. "At least put on a nicer shirt."

"No. I'm not going to show up like some gentleman caller from the nineteenth century who is making his intentions known."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't say to put on tails and a top hat. If you want to make a good impression, you should at least look somewhat presentable."

He looked down at himself. "There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing. It could be worse."

Alice ignored his comment. "You should wear the dark blue button down shirt I got you last week."

He gave her a doubtful expression.

"Oh come on. It's short sleeved so it's still casual!"

He rolled his eyes. "I'll think about it."

She smiled because she knew that meant that he'd wear it. "So what kind of flowers are you getting?"

He groaned and stood up. "At least let me pick the kind of flowers I want to give _my_ girlfriend."

She giggled. "You said _my girlfriend._"

He walked off mumbling, "We're not in middle school anymore." But by the time he reached the door, he was smiling.

Before he returned to his room, Edward made one phone call and then proceeded to change his shirt.

* * * * *

Charlie and Emmett were downstairs in the living room watching the Mariner's game while Bella and Rosalie were upstairs. They were in Bella's room trying to decide what she would wear for the rehearsal dinner. Based on the snippets of conversation that leaked downstairs, it sounded like Rosalie was trying to convince Bella to go shopping.

And it sounded like Rosalie was winning.

Emmett smiled to himself. He liked that Bella and Rosalie were getting along well. He had hoped that they would be friends, but it seemed they were becoming closer than that.

Introducing Rosalie to his father was a lot more nerve wracking than Emmett thought it would be. There would be no doubt that his father would be impressed. Hands down, Rosalie was a knock out. But as the hour grew near for Charlie's arrival, Emmett realized that not only did he want his father to like Rosalie, but he wanted his approval too.

After Emmett and Bella helped their father settle in, they joined Rosalie who was making a late lunch. She was wearing a green checkered apron and stirring something in a pot. When she saw them enter the kitchen, she put down the wooden spoon and then took off the apron. Then Rosalie took a tentative step toward them and a shy smile spread on her lips.

Emmett cleared his throat. "Um, dad? This is my. . . girlfriend, Rosalie."

Bella looked at Emmett. She heard the hesitation before he said girlfriend. She wondered why he did, but when she saw his reddened cheeks and the way he closed and open his fists, she stifled a laugh.

It was very rare to see Emmett so nervous.

There was another hesitation, but this time it came from their dad. Bella looked at Rosalie whose expression faltered. Bella stepped around Emmett to look at her dad. Charlie's face was that of mild surprise. Bella thumped her father on the back.

"Dad?" she asked.

Charlie cleared his throat. "I'm sorry." He took Rosalie's hand with both of his and shook it with care. "I just. . . Emmett. . . he. . ." He looked at Emmett and then at Rosalie. He cleared his throat again and said, "Very nice," before letting go of Rosalie's hand.

The smiles on both Rosalie and Emmett's faces were bright. Bella couldn't help grinning either. As if Charlie would disapprove of Rosalie, she thought.

Rosalie gestured to the table. "Lunch is ready. Why don't you all have a seat?"

Charlie and Emmett moved to the table, but Bella stayed back to help Rosalie.

Once they all sat down to eat, conversation was stilted. Rosalie was nervous that perhaps she shouldn't have been present and probably should've allowed them time to meet together as a family before intruding. However, once Charlie finished the hearty stew Rosalie had made and was now nibbling on the shaved ham and swiss pannini, he became more vocal. He began asking her about where she was from and what she did.

Bella rolled her eyes. Charlie was in Chief Swan mode.

When Rosalie told Charlie that she was a rare car dealer, his attention perked up and soon they were talking about the car Rosalie was restoring.

The sound of Bella's raised voice from upstairs brought Emmett out of the memory from lunch.

Charlie looked up at the ceiling where all the commotion was coming from. "You'd think those girls were blood related or something."

Emmett laughed. "She's good for Bella. I. . . she needed another female in her life."

Charlie nodded. "Rose is a lovely woman."

Emmett smiled to himself. His father was already using her nickname.

"So, why is Edward coming over?" Charlie asked.

Once the question registered, Emmett hid another grin. "He wants to come visit. You know, he hasn't seen you in a long time."

Charlie took a long pull from his beer before he said, "I suppose, but. . . he didn't have to make a special trip out here just to see me. I would've seen him tonight at the rehearsal dinner."

Emmett said, "I think there's something he wanted to talk to you about."

Charlie's head snapped to Emmett who was taking a sip from his beer now. He wanted to hide his amused expression.

Charlie asked, "Is there something I should know about?"

Emmett shrugged. "I think you should let Edward tell you."

This time Charlie sat up. "Is his family in trouble?"

Emmett put down his beer on the coffee table and held up his hands. "No. Nothing like that. As far as I know, the Cullens are fine. Maybe a little crazy because of the wedding tomorrow, but everyone's fine."

Charlie sat back in his hair, his shoulders relaxing. "I don't get it then."

Emmett had to fight back the urge to blurt out that Bella had a boyfriend and it was Edward. He bit his lip to hold back the laughter. He was eager to see how his father would take the news.

He didn't think Charlie would get upset, but he loved to see his father in action when it came to protecting Bella.

Charlie was about to ask what Emmett found so funny, when there was a knock on the door.

Emmett stood up. "I'll get it."

When he saw Edward standing in the doorway, flowers in hand, looking like he just got caught stealing Esme's chocolate chip cookies, Emmett couldn't help letting a slow smile spread across his lips. "So, you here to see Charlie?" Emmett didn't budge from his post in front of the doorway.

Edward rolled his eyes. "You know I am. That's why I called."

Emmett crossed his arms across his barrel chest. "You think I'm bad? My dad is pretty protective when it comes to Bella."

Edward stifled the groan that nearly slipped out. "Well, that's why I thought it would be good to. . . talk to your dad. Let him know that. . ."

He raised his eyebrow. "That you're dating my sister?"

Edward shook his head. "Come on, Emmett. Let me in."

Rosalie came bounding down the steps. "Who's at the door?" When she saw Edward with the flowers in his hand, she couldn't help smiling. "How sweet."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "They're not for you."

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at him. "I figured out that much. At least he's being thoughtful. You didn't bring me any when you met my parents."

Emmett turned to face Rosalie. "Rose, don't be that way." He turned to look at Edward with a sour expression. "He's just sucking up."

Rosalie placed her hands on her hips. "And what's wrong with sucking up to your girlfriend?"

Emmett's eyes widened. "Nothing."

She was about to tell him that he better be prepared for some serious sucking up for the next few days, when Bella showed up.

"What's going on?" When she saw Edward at the door, her face brightened. She descended the rest of the stairs and went to meet Edward at the door. Emmett was standing right in between them. Bella gave Emmett a pointed look, but he just stood there.

"Emmett," Rosalie grounded out.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Dad and I are in the living room."

Bella watched Emmett leave with a look of confusion.

Rosalie said, "I'll be upstairs getting ready to go shopping for tonight." She disappeared back up the stairs.

When they were alone, Bella said, "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what's gotten in to Emmett."

"I have an idea," Edward mumbled.

Before she could ask what he meant, he held up the flowers for her to take.

Bella hesitated before she took the pink tulips. "These are. . ." Emmett was the only person who gave her flowers and that was on her birthday.

Edward shifted in his spot. Bella looked at the flowers with glistening eyes. "Are these okay?" he asked. "I wasn't sure if. . ." He cursed to himself. Maybe she didn't like tulips? He wasn't sure what kind of flowers she liked, but when he was at the flower shop and saw these, they reminded him of Bella.

She looked up and saw the concerned look on his face. Bella smiled and then said, "No one's ever given me flowers before." She felt her cheeks burn.

A small smile lifted at the corner of his lips. "So. . . you like these?"

Her smile widened. Bella raised an eyebrow at him and said, "There aren't any words."

Bella reached up and pulled his face down to hers. His eyes widened at the closeness and before he could say anything, Bella's mouth was on his.

It started off as a soft, gentle kiss. He could handle this and he relaxed, but Bella used the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Edward was caught between sweet bliss and aching torture. He wanted to close the distance between their bodies and let his hands wander, but he still had the presence of mind to keep himself in check.

Before his resolve was gone, he reached up and held her face. He pulled away, but not before giving her one last kiss.

He let out a shaky breath. "If I had known flowers had this effect on you, I would've given them to you sooner." _Like seven years sooner,_ he thought.

She smiled at his reaction. "I can't believe you came all the way here just to give me flowers." She touched her lips on the spot below his ear and then slipped her hand under his shirt and stroked the bare skin of his lower back.

Edward cleared his throat. "Actually. . . this isn't the only reason why I'm here."

Bella looked up at him and then after a second she lowered her voice. "Are you here to continue where we left off earlier?"

Who knew that a simple bouquet of tulips could make Bella so bold and. . . horny? He filed this bit of information for later use.

He willed his eyes not to roll to the back of his head when he felt her tongue swirling on his collarbone. He choked out the words, "I'm here to see your dad."

Her head snapped up. "My dad? What for?"

He steadied his breath and once he recovered he said, "Well, I thought I should. . ." He took a step back and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "He should know that I'm your boyfriend now."

Bella blinked several times at him.

"Bella?" Had he overstepped his place? He cursed to himself again and said, "Is that too much?"

"Let me get this straight. You brought me flowers and now you want to talk to my dad and let him know that you're officially my boyfriend?"

He scratched his head and felt the back of his neck burn. "When you put it that way it sounds-"

"Incredibly sweet?" She reached for him and wrapped her arms around his waist still holding the flowers. Bella tilted her head so that her mouth was next to his ear. "I am so in love with you, Edward Cullen."

He couldn't help grinning. Then he kissed the top of her head and said, "I love you, too."

They heard footsteps on the stairs. They were reluctant to pull away from each other.

Rosalie smiled and said, "Well, if you two are done exchanging pleasantries," she gave a pointed look at both of them, "Bella and I need to go shopping."

Bella stifled a groan. "I know."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "You sound almost willing."

She blushed. She didn't want to tell him that she wanted to look good for him.

Instead Rosalie said, "Yeah, well that's because I promised not to subject her to shoe shopping."

"Rose, would you mind putting my flowers in a vase?" She gave Edward a shy look before she said, "I have to introduce my dad to my boyfriend."

Rose took Bella's tulips and gave her a warm smile. "Sure." She walked ahead of them.

Bella took the lead, but Edward tugged on her hand, causing her to turn around. "What's the matter?"

He hesitated before he said, "Is this okay?"

"What?"

"Me showing up here like this? You don't think it's. . . dumb?"

She shook her head and couldn't help grinning. "I told you it was sweet." Bella raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to be alright?"

He sighed and then nodded his head.

She couldn't help giggling and pulled his hand to follow her.

They entered the living area. Charlie was on the couch with his attention on the game, but Emmett's was on the couple accompanied by a knowing smile.

"Um. . . Dad?"

"Yeah, Bells." Charlie did not look up from the television.

It was a moment before Emmett cleared his throat and said, "We've got company."

Charlie set his beer down on the coffee table and turned around. He looked at Edward and then looked at their joined hands. Charlie's brow wrinkled which caused Bella to tighten her grip on Edward's hand.

Charlie stood up and took his time walking around the couch. He hesitated before he held out his hand. Edward let go of Bella's hand to receive it.

Charlie eyed Edward before giving him a curt nod.

A second passed before Edward cleared his throat and said, "Chief Swan, it's nice to see you again. How are you?"

"Good. How's your family?"

Edward had a small smile on his face before he said, "They're doing fine. My dad is still at the hospital and my mom is taking a break from her clients to help out with the wedding."

After the pleasantries were exchanged, there was a lull in the conversation.

Bella seized the opportunity to speak. "Um, Dad? Edward wanted to speak to you about something."

Charlie raised his eyebrow and then shot a look at Edward.

Edward shifted in his spot and hesitated before he said, "Chief Swan, I just wanted to. . ." He let out a deep breath before he said, "I'm dating your daughter."

Charlie's face was blank as he stared at Bella and then at Edward. Then he gave Bella an expectant look.

She had a timid smile on her face before she said, "Edward's my boyfriend."

This time Charlie's eyebrows shot up, but after a moment, he recovered. Then it was another half a minute before he said, "Alright."

The only sound that could be heard at this point was Rosalie in the kitchen, opening and closing cupboard doors in search of the vase. She was about to go help Rosalie, but could not leave Edward at the moment.

She looked at Charlie and wondered why he was being so reticent. Not that Charlie was prone to chatter, but she felt he was being even more reserved than usual.

Emmett had remained quiet during the whole exchange. It wasn't that he didn't trust Edward, but as her older brother, he felt it was his duty to give any guy that was interested in her a hard time. Even if the guy was his best friend that he had known since they were kids.

Scratch that. _Especially_ since he had known Edward for so long.

Emmett was expecting an explosion of sorts from Charlie when Bella called Edward her boyfriend. Instead he was surprised that their father mumbled his acquiescence and now there was a silence in the room that facilitated an anxious tension in the air.

He almost let out a chuckle, but was stopped when he saw Bella's expression. She was standing between their father and Edward with a look that was a mixture of worry and confusion.

Then she turned her eyes on Emmett and the hurt in her expression caused him to forget his mission of somehow humiliating Edward. His instinct to protect his younger sister kicked in and Emmett broke the silence.

"Come on, Dad. I know you wanted better for Bella, but for some reason Edward makes her happy."

Bella's mouth dropped at Emmett's comment. He winked at her before he took a sip of his beer.

Charlie cleared his throat. "I have nothing against Edward." He shoved his fists in his pockets. "Always thought he was a nice young man."

Bella had a hopeful expression on her face.

Emmett was always a sucker for his little sister. Seeing her now, as a grown woman, still wanting her daddy's approval, he decided to help her out some more.

"Dad, this is Edward we're talking about. Remember the time when old man Reynolds complained of someone snitching apples in his orchard?"

"Emmett!"

Charlie couldn't help letting a small laugh out. "Never did catch who it was, but it was strange how we ended up with some of them."

Bella and Edward exchanged a look. Bella had made a comment that she liked the apples from the Reynolds orchard and Edward had snuck in to pick some for her. She was ten and he was twelve at the time.

"Or how about the time when-"

"So help me, Emmett! I will-"

Charlie held up his hand. "That's enough." He looked at Edward and then at Bella. "You're okay with. . . him?"

Bella felt her cheeks burn and squeezed Edward's hand. "Dad."

"I'm just asking because. . . well, I want you to be happy and if-"

"He does!"

The intensity of the burn in her cheeks increased and spread down the back of her neck. She didn't mean to be so vehement in her affirmation. Bella gave Edward a timid look and felt her blush spread down her body. He was wearing a wide grin on his face and was rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. She returned his grin with one of her own.

Emmett let out a loud groan at the display.

Charlie gave them both a good natured smile. Then he said, "Edward, if you're not too busy, would you like to watch the game with us for a little while?"

Bella blinked several times. Not only did Charlie string more than five words together, but he was making an effort for her sake.

Charlie looked at her reaction with a bit of confusion, but she quickly recovered and gave her father a warm smile.

Edward thought it was safe to participate in the conversation and smiled. "I'd like that, Chief Swan."

Rosalie walked into the living area. "Why was your vase hidden amongst the pots and pans?"

Bella laughed. "I don't know how it ended up there."

Rosalie shook her head. "Are you ready to go?"

Bella looked at Edward and he gave her a reassuring squeeze on her hand.

She let out a reluctant sigh. "Yeah. We should get going."

Rosalie walked over to Emmett and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she turned to face Charlie. "It was nice meeting you, Chief Swan."

He cleared his throat and said, "Call me Charlie."

Rosalie smiled and started her way toward the front door. "I'll see you all tonight. Bella?"

Bella kissed Edward on the cheek. Then he kissed her on the forehead. He gave her a warm smile, but it faltered when he saw the desire simmering in Bella's eyes. It was killing him not to act on those desires, but with her father and brother in the same room, nothing could be done.

In a low voice, he said, "I'll see you tonight."

She nodded and then walked toward the front door. On her way out, she said, "Bye, Dad! Bye, Emmett!"

Once the ladies were gone, Emmett offered Edward a beer before they settled in to watch the game.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

Pink tulips were just a random choice. I did not plan it. It was entirely Edward's idea. :) I looked up the meaning just to make sure it didn't mean something like brotherly love. I was quite pleased to find out that one of its meanings is perfect lover. Go Edward!

This chapter originally was pushing close to +20, 000 words and included the rehearsal dinner. Even that is way too long imo. So, this chapter is split, and the rehearsal dinner is now chapter 19.

While my betas spotzle and vjgm were on vacation, **sherylaf, **my sister and my PIC, stepped in and helped to beta this chapter. Special thanks to her for taking the time to go through this. Without her, the posting of this chapter would not have been possible.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

MBBF has received over +3,000 reviews on ffnet, +2,000 reviews on twilighted, and +1,000 reviews for the French translation. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and PM's. I am deeply moved that so many people have taken the time to leave a review and have given MBBF a chance. There are SO many fabulous fanfics out there. I'm honored that you've all given this story a chance.

I know there's a long wait in between posts, but please, please, please know that I am not giving up on this story. In fact, this story is close to the end. I've outlined 21 chapters and I'm currently working on chapter 20. So, the end is near!

There has been a recent influx of new readers lately and I wanted to thank those of you who rec'd this story somewhere to your friends. It means a lot to me that you all enjoy the story enough to recommend it.

I post teasers and answer questions about MBBF over at the AH forums at twilighted in the MBBF thread. Come stop by if you have questions or just want to know when the next update will be. :)

3 chapters left! Thank you all again for the lovely reviews and for supporting this story. If I haven't heard from you yet, I'd like to hear from you before the story ends. :)


	19. Chapter 19: Be Good

**Chapter Rating: NC-17 for sexual content **

**Sexual Content is near the end of the chapter.**

Word Count: +10, 000

Author's Note at the end.

**Chapter 19 "Be Good"**

Es más como el magnetismo que nada yo puede luchar

Tirado contra mi hace No no no fue mi decisión

No podría decir es más como el magnetismo

Yo puede ni controlo

Puedo alejar yo Me siento que la tensión crece

Consigue más fuerte ahora, fuerta ahora, fuerta ahora

Usted es todo veo  tiene tanto poder sobre mi

"Magnetismo" by Landon Pigg*

It's more like magnetism than anything else

I can't fight; I'm pulled against my will

It was not my decision, if you couldn't tell

It's more like magnetism; I can't even control myself

Cannot keep away; I feel the tension grow

It's getting stronger now, it's getting stronger now

It's getting stronger now, you're all I see

You have so much power over me

"Magnetism" by Landon Pigg*

Rosalie walked in a circle around Bella, inspecting her handiwork.

Bella kept her arms to her side, but fisted her hands in an attempt to not fidget. "Well?"

Rosalie stopped in front of Bella. "Hmm. . . I'm not pleased with your hair."

Bella reached up and touched the curls that fell past her shoulders. "Why? It's the same way you fixed it for the bachelorette party."

"I know, but I don't think the I-just-got-out-of-bed-after-being-thoroughly-sexed-up-look is appropriate for a rehearsal dinner."

Bella blushed. "Edward seemed to like it."

"Yes, but we don't want him to start humping your leg once we get to the hotel."

"Rose!"

She let out a low laugh. "Let me try something."

There was a short knock on the bathroom door. "Are you guys almost done? We're going to be late," Emmett said through the door.

"Just another minute." Rose gathered Bella's hair so that it all fell past one shoulder. She proceeded to stick pins in her hair.

"Ow, Rose!"

"Beauty hurts, dear."

"Are you sure this will look okay?"

"Of course it will. Remember one of the rules?"

Bella gave her a questioning look.

Rosalie let out a sigh. "Bare skin reminds guys of sex." She put in the last pin. "We're killing two birds with one stone. Your hair will look fabulous and you get to maximize the style of the dress."

Rosalie turned Bella around to face the mirror. "Oh."

"Oh? We shopped for the perfect dress, spent time getting you to look delicious, and all you can say is oh?"

Bella grinned. "Do I really look. . . delicious?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Please. Edward is going to want to lick every part of you once he sees you."

Bella felt her face grow warm. "Okay."

There was a heavy knock on the door. "Ladies, we've got to go!"

"Alright!" Rosalie opened the door and they filed out.

"Fina-" Emmett was standing in the hall. "Uh. . ."

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you have something nice to say, Emmett?"

"Uh. . ." He muttered again. His eyes darted from Rosalie to Bella and then back again. He blurted out, "Apple pie a la mode!"

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at him.

Emmett said, "There's nothing better."

Bella couldn't help giggling at Emmett's analogy for desserts and women.

Before Rosalie could clarify what Emmett meant, he headed to the stairs. "Come on, let's go."

They made their way down the stairs. Charlie was already waiting in the living room. He stood up when he heard them coming down. "Are we leaving now?"

"Yes." Rosalie gave him a warm smile. "We're so sorry to keep you waiting. We just wanted to look nice."

Charlie took a minute to take in Rosalie and Bella. He rubbed his chin and ran his hand through his hair. "Very nice."

Rosalie's smile widened. "Thank you."

They walked out to Rosalie's car rental.

Charlie's eyes widened. "Are we riding in that?"

Rosalie looked at the red M3 convertible. "We could put the top down if you'd prefer?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, I just. . ." He strode over to the car and gave it an appreciative look. "Gorgeous."

Bella shook her head. Of course her father's vocabulary would improve for a car.

Rosalie unlocked the doors, but handed Emmett the keys. "Come on, Bella. We'll ride in the back."

They climbed in and soon they were off. After a few minutes, Charlie said, "Which hotel are we going to?"

Emmett said, "The Edgewater. It's over at the pier by Elliot Bay."

"Sounds fancy."

"It's pretty nice."

"How long. . ." Charlie bit back the original question in an effort to be more social. "Are we spending the whole evening there?"

"Nope. They're going to run through the ceremony and then we're heading over to the Cullens' afterward for dinner."

"How many people-" Charlie didn't mean to come off so stand-offish an unfriendly. It was just the way he talked as the Police Chief of Forks: blunt with little tact. He realized he had to try to make an effort to sound more sociable. "Who will be there tonight?"

"Well, there's the immediate family and some out of town guests who are close friends of Alice and Jasper."

Rosalie said, "My parents will be there, too."

Charlie shifted in his seat to look at Rosalie. "It'd be nice to meet them."

Emmett smiled.

Bella said, "I hope it's not too cold on the deck."

Charlie said, "The deck?"

"Alice and Jasper are getting married on the Terrace Deck. It's outdoors, but it has a beautiful view of the city and the bay." Rosalie turned to Bella. "The weather might be a little cool for the rehearsal, but it should be warmer tomorrow since they're getting married in the early evening."

Emmett said to Bella, "You should've brought a sweater."

Rosalie said, "She'll be fine."

"At least something to cover her shoulders."

"Emmett."

Bella's phone went off, signaling a text message.

_Where are you?_

_E_

Bella couldn't help smiling and texted him back.

_We're on our way. We'll be there soon. Miss you._

_B_

Rosalie said, "Someone's a little impatient."

Bella didn't bother hiding her grin and shrugged. Before she could respond to Rosalie, her phone went off again. She couldn't help bouncing in her seat when she opened the message.

_Miss you too._

_I wish we could have some time alone._

_XX_

Bella felt her face grow warm.

Rosalie whispered. "Are you guys sending naughty texts?"

"Rose!"

"You guys are going to see each other soon."

Bella muttered, "Not soon enough." Then proceeded to text Edward back.

_I wouldn't be opposed to that._

_XX_

A minute later she got another text, but this time it was from Alice.

_What are you telling my brother?_

There was an attachment and Bella saw a picture of Edward in a dark suit, looking down at his phone with a mischievous smile.

Bella covered her mouth, but she couldn't stop the sound of her laughter escaping. Rosalie tugged her arm to look at her phone and saw Edward's picture.

She raised her eyebrows at Bella and shook her head. Before Bella could say anything, Rosalie had taken her phone out and snapped a picture of Bella's rosy face. Then she texted it to Alice.

A minute later, Bella got another text from Alice.

_Just promise me that you guys won't get caught doing whatever you have planned tonight._

"What did you tell Alice?"

"I didn't say anything. I let the picture speak for itself."

Bella groaned and threw herself back on the seat. She was glad that Emmett was keeping their father occupied by talking about fishing.

A few minutes later, Bella received another text. Between Rosalie and Alice's teasing, she didn't know how much more she could take.

She saw that it was from Edward this time. There was only one word.

_Lovely._

Bella let out a soft sigh. Rosalie gave her a knowing smile.

* * * * *

It was agreed that everyone meet in the hotel's restaurant bar before heading upstairs to the outdoor deck.

Edward arrived with Esme, Carlisle, and Alice. Jasper was already waiting at the hotel bar with his parents and several good friends from work. A few close friends of Alice's from New York were also in attendance. There were also some relatives such as Aunt Tanya and her husband.

Jasper and Edward were talking with Caius and Aro. They were Jasper's friends and co-vice presidents of their advertising firm.

Aro said, "So, I take it things are pretty serious between you and your girlfriend?"

Edward put his phone back in his pocket. "Pretty serious."

Jasper raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything.

A blonde with sleek hair and a lithe body joined them and took Aro's arm. "This is my girlfriend Jane."

Edward shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Caius said, "So, Jasper, where are you guys going for your honeymoon?"

Jasper said, "As a wedding gift, your father is letting us stay at the villa in Tuscany."

"Oh, you'll both like it there."

"Neither of us have been, so we're looking forward to it."

Jane asked, "How long will you be staying?"

"Two weeks and then we head back to California."

Aro said, "And then back to work."

Jasper nodded with a rueful expression.

Caius asked, "Edward, when are you going back to California?"

"Next week."

At this, Jasper's brows shot up.

Aro noticed Jasper's expression, but instead said, "Well, when you return from your honeymoon, we should all get together."

"Absolutely."

Edward excused himself to get a drink at the bar. The only people who knew he was going back to California so soon were Charlie and Emmett. He wanted to tell Bella first, but during their afternoon together, work had come up and there was no way around telling them when he'd be going back. Charlie took the news fine, but Emmett was not so complacent. Before Edward went home, Emmett pulled him aside and in no uncertain terms told Edward that he had to tell Bella as soon as possible.

Edward bristled at the comment, but he knew Emmett was only looking out for Bella. He felt guilty for not bringing it up with her sooner, getting caught up in the beginnings of their relationship.

Jasper joined him at the bar. "Have you told her yet?"

"No, but I plan to tonight."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I have to tell her soon." He sipped his drink. "My flight is on Sunday."

Jasper let out a long breath. "You can't change it?"

"I was going to but. . . things at work are. . . I have responsibilities."

Jasper nodded and then clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

_I hope so. _

Edward wasn't sure how she would take the news. When he texted her that he wanted some time alone, he meant that he wanted time alone to tell her that he'd be leaving. But there was no way Bella could know that and she seemed to take his words another way.

A small smile crept onto his lips. He certainly wouldn't mind being alone with her for other reasons as well.

He resisted the urge to look at the picture Alice had forwarded to him. Bella could be so damn alluring without even knowing it.

Jasper said, "Speak of the devil."

Edward's eyes were drawn in the direction of the entry way. Emmett and Rosalie entered, but he didn't see Bella. His brow furrowed in confusion, but a couple minutes later, Bella walked in on the arm of her father.

They were being greeted by his parents and Jasper and Rosalie's parents. Then Alice joined them, starting a conversation with Rosalie and Bella.

Bella seemed so at ease talking with his sister and Rosalie. She wore an easy smile and her eyes were warm. When she turned to say something to her father, Edward saw the bare expanse of her back and how her hair was swept off to the side.

Edward imagined dragging a finger down the center of her back only to have it arch, her chest rise, and to hear her breath gasp in reaction.

He shook his head to rid himself of the fantasy and before he knew it, Edward was standing in front of her.

Bella looked up when she saw him approach. The steady look he gave her while he walked toward her made her body grow warm and take a step toward him. She willed her knees not to give out.

His voice was rough. "You're here."

She gave him a shy smile. "Yeah."

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. The top of her dress was tied at the nape of her neck, and he wondered if he tugged on one of the strings, if it would come undone. The front of the black dress revealed a sliver of her creamy skin between her breasts. The flouncy skirt fell just above her knees, revealing the curves of her calves and delicate ankles.

Alice laid a hand on Edward's arm. "It's time."

Bella followed Alice. He couldn't help being a little put out that they had to go upstairs for the rehearsal. He felt Bella's hand slide into his.

"Are you alright?" she asked while they walked out of the bar.

Her lips were shiny. It took him a moment to formulate an answer. "Uh. . . yeah."

She couldn't help letting a small laugh escape.

Her mouth. He remembered where her mouth had been not less than twenty-four hours ago.

"Edward, are you sure you're alright?"

They were all waiting for the elevators. Edward pulled her aside. "I'm just a little distracted."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What's on your mind?"

Lots of things were on his mind. But they were mainly of Bella, naked, writhing on his bed.

Rosalie interrupted his thoughts. "Elevator's here."

Several people had already gone up in the other elevators and it looked like they were the last. He was about to say they'd take another one which would mean they'd be alone, but Charlie and Emmett were waiting inside, and he didn't think they'd appreciate him trying to have his way with Bella in an elevator.

Edward gestured for Bella to walk ahead and he followed her inside.

He thought being away from her for seven years was awful. That didn't compare to the slow torture of not being able to touch Bella because he could now. She was standing in front of him and yet he couldn't touch her because her father was standing next to them. He could smell her floral scent in the enclosed space. It didn't help that she turned her head and looked up at him through her eyelashes.

Then she licked her lips and her eyes strayed to his before she looked up at him again.

He groaned, but covered it up with a cough.

Emmett, who was at the front of the elevator, turned to look at Edward with narrowed eyes.

It was the most excruciating minute of his life.

When the elevator dinged and the doors parted, they walked toward the deck. Once outside, Edward was thankful for being outdoors. He didn't know how much longer he could take being so close to Bella, smelling her, and looking at her without touching her.

He placed his hand on the small of her back and joined Alice and Jasper who were talking to the minister.

Once he listened to his job of standing up front with Jasper, Edward only half listened to the rest of the directions for the ceremony. He looked at Bella who listened with rapt attention.

The hand that rested on the small of her back, slid around her waist. He drew her closer to him and tilted his head down. "That picture did not do you justice."

Bella felt her face heat up. She kept her focus on what the minister was saying, but leaned closer to Edward. "You're supposed to be paying attention."

"I already know what to do."

"Well, I don't want to mess things up."

"You'll be fine."

"Be quiet."

He let out a soft chuckle. Then his hand that was on her waist moved up and settled on her shoulder. His fingers brushed her bare skin.

It was meant to be a reassuring gesture, but instead they both felt the tension between them heighten.

She let out a short breath. "What are you doing?"

"I was just. . . trying to be nice."

"Well, can you try not to be so nice in front of all these people?"

He leaned in closer. "You want me to stop?" His thumb drew lazy circles at the nape of her neck.

Her eyes widened, but she was quick to recover. The minister told them to take their places. When everyone moved to where they were supposed to be, Bella turned to Edward and leaned in toward his ear and said, "Just wait until we're alone."

With that, she pulled away and followed Alice and Rosalie to where they would be making their entrance.

Edward watched her walk away and when she looked back and winked at him, he almost followed her.

Jasper shook Edward's shoulder. "Man, you need to snap out of it."

"What?"

They took their places near the arch that Emmett had brought the day before. Jasper said, "It's kind of awkward watching you two together."

"Awkward?"

"Yeah. It's obvious you two would rather be somewhere else than here."

Edward rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin-"

He held up his hand. "Don't worry about it. I get it." Jasper had a small smile on his lips. "Just try not to be so obvious about your feelings."

"Am I really that obvious?"

Jasper laughed. "I think Emmett is trying not to punch you in the face right now."

Edward looked over at Emmett sitting with his dad in the front row. Charlie was taking in the view of the night skyline, but Emmett's eyes were narrowed at Edward.

Edward gave Emmett an apologetic look.

After a moment, Emmett shook his head and smiled.

Jasper was asking the minister about the vows. Edward took a moment to look around at the other guests. His parents and Aunt Tanya and her family were seated behind Emmett and Charlie. Jasper's work colleagues Aro, his girlfriend Jane, and Caius were seated with an older gentleman who Edward remembered being introduced as Marcus, Jasper's boss and father to Aro and Caius.

There were also some of Rosalie and Jasper's relatives sitting in the audience as well as some of Jasper's fraternity friends from California. Edward hung out with them a few times at Berkeley.

The minister signaled for the ladies to make their entrance. Bella was the first to come out.

He should've been enchanted by the way she glided down the aisle. She had eyes for only him and she wore a knowing smile that promised there would be good things to come later.

What Edward wasn't prepared for was how all the males, except for her father and brother, also noticed the way Bella was walking down the aisle toward him. He knew that she only wanted him, yet he couldn't help wanting to punch every guy in the throat for looking like they could get a piece of her.

Bella made it to the front and when he looked at her, her expression had changed into one of confusion.

He cursed to himself and tried to give her a reassuring smile. Bella's expression relaxed, but there was still a note of uncertainty.

He remembered very well Bella's threat if he acted like a jealous ass again. Although he probably would deserve getting punched again for acting out of line, he did not want to give Bella any reason to do it in the first place.

Edward realized that he would have to play it cool. He would have to make sure that he didn't lose his temper, but he'd also have to make sure that everyone knew Bella belonged to him.

* * * * *

Bella was relieved that she was able to make it through the rehearsal without any mishaps. She was nervous about having to walk down the aisle by herself in front of all those people. She was afraid that her adolescent clumsiness would return, but when she saw Edward at the end of the aisle, Bella forgot her worries and focused on her man.

Bella imagined she was walking down the aisle as if it were her and Edward's wedding. The idea that Edward was waiting at the end of the aisle to become her husband made her smile grow wider.

However, when she reached the front, Edward's expression was grim. He cleared his face when he saw her watching and then gave her a reassuring smile, but she still wondered what could have caused him to have such an expression.

Once the rehearsal was over, everyone was eager to go over the Cullens' house for dinner.

The house had never been so full, but Esme took great delight in her role as hostess. Dinner was Italian food in an informal family style affair. Everyone was now partaking in coffee and dessert which consisted of tiramisu or New York style cheesecake.

Some of the guests had returned to the hotel after dessert, but there were still a few who stayed behind, enjoying the chance to catch up.

Bella, Alice, and her friend, Kate, were talking about the wedding. Once the topic had been exhausted, Kate asked, "So, Bella, how long have you and Edward been going out?"

They were sitting out on the patio and Bella shifted in her spot. "Just for a little while."

Alice said, "But they've known each other since we were all kids."

"Really?" Kate sipped her wine. "But, you guys just started going out? It seems like you guys. . ."

"What?" Bella asked.

Kate shrugged. "I've never seen Edward so. . . caught up in another person before."

Alice said, "That's because he was locked up in that lab all the time."

Kate giggled.

Bella said, "Oh come on. I'm sure he wasn't that bad."

"Oh, Bella. If you only knew." Alice put her wine glass on the ground next to her and proceeded to use her hands while she spoke. "It would take endless pleading to get that boy to agree to lunch. Forget dinner. I'd have had to use a forklift."

Kate slid to the edge of her seat. "When I would visit them in California, Edward was barely social. He was so caught up in his science stuff. He also had this mad scientist kind of look going."

"Mad scientist look? Should I be concerned?" Bella held back a smile.

Alice groaned. "Sometimes he'd wear the same shirt for a week. And you think his hair is bad now?" She shook her head. "His hair was pulled in so many directions because he was frustrated that his little experiments weren't going his way."

Bella sat up in her seat. "But he's been very successful-"

Alice held up her hand. "I know. He's a genius, but seriously? He needed something more in his life."

Kate said, "In other words, the boy was in desperate need of some loving."

Alice and Kate laughed, but Bella felt her face burn. After a minute, Bella said, "So, you mean he's different now?"

Alice nodded. "He smiles and laughs more. He's actually relaxed."

Kate said, "And he cleans up real nice."

Alice gave Kate a surprised look.

Kate shrugged. "What? When I knew him, Edward had a kind of cute nerdy thing going on. Now, he's like sex on legs."

"Ew, Kate!" Alice cringed.

Bella laughed.

"Sounds like the party's out here." Rosalie sat on the arm rest of Bella's chair.

Bella couldn't help smiling. "Apparently, Edward has gone through a transformation."

Kate said, "I had no idea that Edward had such potential."

Rosalie said, "Oh, it was there. It just needed a reason to be brought out."

"Uh. . . this is starting to get awkward." Alice gulped her wine.

Rosalie continued as if she didn't hear her. "On the occasions I was able to get him to escort me to events, Edward had women clamoring to get his attention."

"How did you even get him to go out with you?" Kate asked.

"How did you even get him to change out of his mad scientist look?" Alice asked.

"Rosalie can be very persuasive when she wants to be," Edward said and stood behind Bella's chair.

Alice studied Edward and then Rosalie. After half a minute she said, "So basically you bullied him in to it?"

Edward wore a sheepish expression. "Rose can be scary sometimes."

Rosalie laughed. "I was only helping you to be more social. I'm surprised you didn't gnaw your fist off down in that dungeon of yours."

Edward's hand rested on the back of Bella's neck, his thumb dragging back and forth at the nape. "It's called a laboratory."

Bella's thighs pressed together in response to Edward's reference to his laboratory.

"And Mad Scientist Edward is not very nice," Alice said and gave her brother a reproving look.

"What? I'm nice."

Kate shook her head. "You spoke in your own language of grunts and one word answers."

"And the times I did manage to drag his sorry butt out, he'd be on his phone, texting with his partner," Rosalie said.

Alice laughed. "His _partner_ Collin?"

"I really thought there was something going on between them," Rosalie said.

He narrowed his eyes at his sister and then turned to Rosalie. "He's my intern. He keeps me informed about what goes on in the lab when I'm not there."

"Whatever." Rosalie rolled her eyes and said, "You know, you seriously had me thinking I was losing my touch."

Edward groaned. "Rose."

Alice leaned toward Bella. "You're lucky you didn't have to deal with Mad Scientist Edward."

"I don't think it would've been that bad."

"He won't even let me visit him at work anymore," Alice said and gave her brother a pout.

"Things are busy in the lab. We can't have visitors coming in and out all the time."

Bella felt the heat climb up her neck.

"It was only one time. I just wanted to see how things worked."

"You don't just mess with lab equipment like it's a toy." He had ceased his movements on Bella's neck, but his hand had slid down and rested on her shoulder. She wondered if he could feel the change in her body temperature. He continued, "You have to be careful and you have to know how to use the equipment."

Bella had been fighting off the memories of the previous night, but when Edward uttered the words _careful _and_ equipment, _her mind made the jump to having Edward's head between her thighs.

She pressed her thighs even tighter together because suddenly Mr. Dazzling's laboratory was missing its mad scientist.

"Bella, are you alright?"

She looked up at Rosalie who wore a concerned expression.

"I'm fine."

"It's just that. . ." The concerned expression disappeared when she saw the slow blush that spread on Bella's face. "You looked like. . . you were distracted." Rosalie kept the amusement out of her voice, but she wore a knowing smile.

"I was just. . ." Alice and Kate waited for her to finish. She couldn't look at Edward.

"Just what?" Rosalie prodded.

She wanted to throw an elbow at Rosalie's face. Bella hesitated before she said, "Edward seems to care a lot about. . . his lab. He's always been. . . meticulous and. . . thorough, so I'm not surprised he's. . . protective about it."

"That's a diplomatic way of saying he's territorial," Alice said.

Rosalie looked at Bella, working out the possible double meaning in her words.

She didn't mean for her words to carry any double meaning, but when she opened her mouth, they just seemed to tumble out. Bella was too embarrassed to see Edward's reaction.

When she felt a gentle squeeze on her shoulder, Bella knew Edward did indeed understand. She was mortified, but she also couldn't help the thrill of butterfly sensations in her stomach.

"Well, I think it's good to see that Edward can be something else besides a hermit," Kate teased.

"True," Alice said and then smiled. "We just didn't know what the right incentive was."

Edward let out a small laugh. "I'll have to agree with you on that, Alice."

Bella finally lifted her eyes up to him and was surprised by the heated gaze focused on her.

Without breaking his focus, Edward said, "Bella's worth the effort."

Bella could feel Rosalie, Alice, and Kate's eyes on them, but she was too caught up in the warmth of Edward's fixed stare to let it bother her.

The ladies continued talking for a few more minutes and then Rosalie said, "We all better turn in soon. I hear there's a wedding tomorrow."

Alice grinned. "I'm sure the bride wouldn't want her bridal party to be late."

Bella groaned. "Do we really have to be up by seven?"

Alice said, "We have to start getting ready early."

Bella said, "But, the wedding isn't until four o'clock."

Rosalie patted Bella on the shoulder. "Some day you'll understand."

She was about to say she would never understand why it would take almost eight hours to get ready, but Rosalie held up her hand and said, "Let's get going."

Bella let out a short breath and began to follow everyone into the house. However, Edward held onto her wrist, leaving them to be the only people outside.

Before Bella could say anything, Edward's mouth was on hers. The kiss was urgent and hungry. After a moment, he pulled away and in a low voice said, "I've been waiting all night to do that."

Bella reached up and played with the hair on the nape of his neck. "I've been waiting to do this." She grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged so that his lips crashed down on to hers. She sucked his lower lip which earned a low moan from Edward.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused them to jump and step away from each other.

"Um. . ." Emmett stood in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just. . . we're getting ready to leave, Bella."

"Oh." Bella gave Edward an apologetic look.

Edward squeezed her hand. "Emmett, if it's alright with you, I can take Bella back."

Emmett looked at Edward for a moment. He wanted to ask Edward if he had a chance to tell Bella that he was leaving, but if Edward did, he figured Bella would be more upset. Clearly, Edward had not told Bella yet. He contemplated for a second if he should bring it up.

He looked at Bella. She had a hopeful expression on her face. Emmett was torn between protecting his sister and having faith in his best friend not to hurt her.

After a moment, Emmett said, "Alright. Just don't stay out too late. I'm sure Alice is going to be pissed if you're late tomorrow."

Bella couldn't help it and threw her arms around Emmett. While he hugged his sister, Emmett gave Edward a pointed look.

He knew that look. It meant there would be no way to continue the Cullen name if he hurt Bella. Edward gave Emmett a small nod of acknowledgment before Bella withdrew from Emmett's arms and returned to his side.

They all made their way to the front door which caused a mass exodus by the other guests. While Edward said goodbye to Kate, Rosalie approached Bella.

"Emmett said Edward was bringing you home."

Bella nodded. "Are you heading back to the hotel?"

"I'm going to drop off your dad and Emmett first."

"You could've stayed with us."

Rosalie gave her a good natured smile. "I didn't want things to be awkward with your dad."

"He wouldn't have minded."

"I would've!"

"Rosalie Hale, I had no idea you could be so old fashioned."

She smiled and then said, "Actually, Emmett's going to be staying with me after the wedding tomorrow."

Bella laughed.

Alice joined them. "So, you guys are going to be here at 7:00 a.m. sharp, right?"

Rosalie nodded.

Bella said, "How about 8:00? The stylist is going to be working on you first anyway."

"Yes, but a manicurist will be here too."

"Well, she can work on Rose first and then on you when the stylist is done."

Alice contemplated Bella's response.

Rosalie nudged Alice's shoulder. "It'll give her more time with Edward."

Bella's eyes widened. "I was trying to negotiate more time to sleep."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Why would you need more sleep?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "It's not fair that we have to wake up at an ungodly hour on a Saturday."

Alice pouted. "I'm only getting married once."

Bella's head hung low. "Fine."

The pout was replaced with a triumphant smile. Alice went to kiss Jasper goodbye.

Bella's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Why is she saying goodbye to Jasper?"

Rosalie said, "He's taking our parents back and he's staying at the hotel."

Bella waited for Rosalie to explain.

Rosalie lifted one shoulder up and then down. "Alice wanted it that way. Something about building up the suspense for the wedding."

"Oh." It didn't make sense to Bella because Jasper had been staying with Alice the whole time since they got here.

As if reading her mind, Rosalie said, "I wouldn't try to understand." She turned to face Bella. "Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?"

Bella shook her head. "I'll manage."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine. I think Emmett and my dad are going fishing with Jacob's dad in the morning. I'm sure Emmett will wake me up before they leave."

"Alright." Rosalie hugged Bella and went to Emmett.

Edward joined Bella and lead her to the family room.

They sat on the couch together. Bella leaned back on the couch and let out a long sigh. "It's been a long night."

Edward loosened his tie and undid the top buttons of his shirt. Then he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up.

Bella studied his wrists. She liked the light shadowing of hair on his arms.

A moment later, Esme and Alice entered the room and started cleaning up the kitchen.

Bella sat up. "Let me help you guys." She stood up and walked over to the island.

Alice said, "I thought you were leaving with Rose."

"Edward offered to bring me back."

Esme waved her off. "Then you shouldn't waste time talking to us."

"Oh, but-"

Esme gestured in a way to shoo her off. "Go on. Don't keep him waiting."

Bella smiled and turned to join Edward on the couch.

He took her hand and said, "Would you like to go sit out on the patio?"

"Sure."

They walked through the French doors and Edward guided her to the bench against the house.

Bella couldn't help smiling.

Edward caught the smile. "What?"

"I was just remembering how Rosalie and Alice sent me out here to try and get you to come to the cabin with us. I can't believe they encouraged me to flirt with you."

"It worked."

"I wasn't even trying."

"That's why it worked."

She laughed and they sat side by side on the bench. "What would have happened if I actually tried?"

A slow smile crept on his lips. "Well, I think I would've done more than just say yes to the cabin." Edward sat back with one arm over the back of the bench and the other on the arm rest.

It was the same position he was in that day. She studied his face and saw a challenge there. Bella draped her legs over his lap and tugged at his shirt to come closer.

"You remember I told you I have no idea how to use my feminine wiles." She reached up and ran her thumb across her lower lip.

"And do you remember I said that you should at least try?" He placed a hand on her knee.

"I'm not an expert like you."

His eyebrows shot up. "What makes you think I'm an expert?"

She looked up at him. "What were you doing all night?"

"I wasn't flirting."

"Okay. Then what was that thing in the elevator on the way down from rehearsal?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You practically crushed me against you."

"It was crowded."

"Or when I got here?"

"I was only giving you a hello kiss."

"Some kiss. I felt that down to my toes."

"I was happy to see you." He kissed the tip of her nose.

She let out a short laugh. "Or at dinner?"

"I was a perfect gentleman."

"The way you kept touching me _accidently?" _

He avoided her gaze by playing with the ends of her hair.

"And then you snuck in those kisses on my shoulder. Geez, even Jasper's grandmother noticed."

"Is there something wrong with being affectionate?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Or you had something else planned."

He had a mischievous smile on his face. "How could you doubt my motives?"

"So you were marking your territory."

His eyes widened. "I wasn't-"

"I knew it."

"Bella, I-"

"You know, I should be mad at you for getting territorial again."

"But?"

She breathed a kiss below his ear and then said, "You were more subtle this time and. . ." She kissed him again on the same spot.

His voice was low. "And?"

"You were driving me crazy."

"How so?"

"I couldn't do anything about it."

Edward pressed his lips onto the curve of her neck. His lips still lingered on her skin when he said, "What do you plan on doing now?"

Bella's fingers tangled into Edward's hair, guiding his progress down her neck. "You know, we're supposed to be taking things slow."

"I'm very good at taking my time." His hand slid further under her skirt.

"I meant. . . taking our time to. . . figure things out. . . before. . ."

"I thought I figured things out pretty well last night."

"Edward."

His finger tips brushed the edge of her panties.

"Is this what you had in mind when you said you wanted to be alone?"

Edward only had a few seconds for Bella's words to sink in before she covered her mouth over his. Her kiss was urgent and full of need. It was difficult for Edward to remember the real reason why he needed to see her alone. He almost forgot again when he felt Bella fumbling with the button of his slacks.

He stilled her hand. "Uh. . . Bella. I actually need to talk to you about something."

Bella pulled away and rolled her shoulders back. "What did you want to talk about?"

He took one of her hands in his. "Will you promise to hear everything I have to say before reacting?"

She moved her legs off his lap, but continued to hold his hand.

Edward took a steady breath before he began. "Do you remember when we talked about my work at the lab?"

She nodded.

"Well, since I've been gone, the research hasn't really moved forward. The CDC is really interested and would like to see more progress."

"That's understandable."

"It was difficult walking away from work, but I needed the break. But now. . . I can't ignore the responsibilities I have."

"No, of course not. I wouldn't expect you to."

"I have to go back soon."

Bella studied him for a minute. "How soon?"

"I made plans to go back before. . . I never thought that we'd. . ." He used his free hand to run it through his hair. "I figured once the wedding was over, I'd go back to work as soon as possible. It was before-"

"How soon?"

Edward took in a long breath and let it out. "Sunday."

"Sunday?"

He nodded.

She stared at him for a moment before she looked down at their entwined hands. "So soon."

"I was going to push it back, but I can't ignore-"

"No, I understand." She withdrew her hand and moved away from him.

"I know I promised that I wasn't going to leave, and I feel like such a moron for having to go. If I could change it, I would."

Bella gave him a small smile. "I know."

"I'd rather be here with you."

"Edward, I know."

He hated that she had a sad expression and that he was the cause of it. "I'm sure you're ready to go home now." He stood up and Bella followed.

The kitchen was empty when they entered the house. Edward walked to the door that lead to the garage. He took a set of keys from one of the hooks and they went to Esme's car.

They drove in silence. They had made progress in recovering their friendship and they were just scratching the surface of a romantic relationship. Edward felt he ruined any chances of moving forward and suspected that Bella did not want to be hurt again.

He chanced a look in her direction, but her gaze was fixed ahead. If her expression was any indication of her thoughts, he guessed that Bella was hurt.

He tried so hard in earning her trust back and now he was afraid he had lost it again. She said she understood the importance of his work, but it was a small comfort at what the cost would be in pursuing it.

By the time they pulled up in front of her house, Edward was prepared for Bella to put a halt on their relationship. He couldn't blame her for wanting to. He didn't want to cause her pain again and if it meant staying friends, Edward was willing to do that.

"I'll walk you to your door." He moved to get out, but Bella placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"What. . . I. . ." She swallowed hard before she said, "If it's okay, I'd like to stay with you tonight."

His eyebrows shot up. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, but she didn't look at him. "I just need to get some things."

"Would you like me to go in with you?"

She shook her head. "I won't take long. Wait here?"

"Alright."

Bella left the car and disappeared into her house.

Edward fiddled with the radio, but nothing appealed to him, so he shut it off. He adjusted the temperature gauge and then turned on the wipers to clear some of the mist that fogged the windows. He pulled down the visor and saw his reflection in the lighted mirror. He tried to arrange his hair so that it didn't look like he just ran through a wind tunnel, but that just made it worse. He flipped the visor back up and instead adjusted the controls for the outside mirrors. Esme would be upset that he changed them, but he needed something to do to channel his energy.

He didn't know why he was so nervous. This certainly was not the first time they spent the night together. He attributed the nervous energy to the fact that just a moment ago, he was expecting Bella to break up with him. Instead the opposite happened, and she wanted to stay with him.

In his bed.

All night.

He tilted his head back on the head rest. It would be inconsiderate of him to expect anything to happen tonight. He just told her that he would be leaving soon and to even try to fool around with Bella would be insensitive. She probably wanted to be comforted and reassured that he loved her. Edward would do everything to ensure that she felt secure in their relationship. He could show her that he cared about her and that sex wasn't the reason why he was with her. Of course not.

He realized that maybe she felt pressured about having sex now that he was leaving on Sunday. She wanted to take things slow and now he made it so that she was forced to go against her decision.

Edward sat up in his seat. What if she thought he did this on purpose to move things along faster?

He shook his head. Edward was determined to show her that tonight was about making her feel secure. That he held no expectations for her to do anything she wasn't ready to do.

The porch light was turned off and a second later, Bella emerged from the house with an overnight and garment bag. Edward got out of the car to help her load her things.

Once everything was in, Edward drove back to his parents' house.

"Sorry I took so long."

"You didn't. In fact, you were faster than I expected."

"Since I had to be at your house so early, most of my things were laid out already."

"I guess you'll get your wish to sleep in a little."

Bella gave him a small smile, but then another expression crossed her face that he didn't know.

Then she asked, "When do you have to start getting ready?"

"Alice said I'm supposed to be at the hotel at two to get ready with Jasper."

"What? That's not fair."

He shrugged. "I just have to throw on a tux." Edward smiled before he said, "Don't tell Alice, but me and Jasper are going to try out the fitness center before we get ready."

"Lucky." She crossed her arms.

He laughed at her pout.

They pulled up in the garage and Edward shut the engine off. He got out and carried Bella's stuff out of the car.

"I can carry something."

"Don't worry about it."

They made their way through the darkened house to Edward's room. Once there, he put her overnight bag down next to his bed and hung her garment bag in his closet.

Bella shut the door and proceeded to take her shoes off. Edward picked up his coat from his bed and hung it in his closet as well.

Once they didn't have anything else to do, they stood in his room for a moment studying the other person.

"If you want, you can use the bathroom first." Edward rubbed the back of his neck.

Bella shifted in her spot. "Actually, I. . ."

He took a step toward her. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head. "Are you sure it's alright that I'm here?"

He nodded. "I'm glad you decided to stay with me."

"Glad?"

He smiled.

Bella closed the gap between them. "Just glad?"

She was giving him such a soulful expression that Edward lost his train of thought for a second. He wanted to touch her and hear her panting his name. He pulled back an inch.

_Don't be an insensitive horny bastard._

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's been a long day. I'm sure you're tired."

"I'm actually not that tired."

"You have to be up early though."

She leaned in closer. "You said I'll have time to sleep in." She looked down at his lips. "But, I didn't think you'd actually meant it though."

"Bella, I. . . you're making this difficult for me."

She looked up at him through her lashes. "How can I make it easier?"

"I-we should-"

"Did you know if you pulled on this string," she reached behind her and held up the string that was tied in a bow behind her neck, "My dress comes undone."

_Good lord. She's trying to kill me._

Bella turned around. Her hair was already swept to the side, so there was a clear view of what she was about to do. She took one end of the strings and proceeded to pull.

His mind dulled at the sight of the bow unraveling. She was a gift and he was anxious for the wrapping to come off. When she finished pulling, the ends trailed down her back.

Edward was ready to undo the final knot, but he checked himself. They were supposed to take things slow, but if he undid the knot, he would not be able to hold himself back anymore.

Bella waited for Edward. His breath tickled her ear and she could feel the warmth of his body on the bare skin of her back. After a few seconds, she became nervous that perhaps he had changed his mind.

His voice was rough. "What are you doing?"

"I. . . I was actually trying to flirt with you." She felt his hands on her hips, her back now pressed against his chest.

"Bella, I'd call this a seduction."

"Is it working?"

It was a moment before he said, "I. . . I know you want to take things slow. I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything you're not comfortable with because I'm leaving." He lowered his mouth next to her ear. "I want your trust and if it means waiting, I'll wait."

The heat from his body and his breath on her skin reminded her of what it was like to have him over her, breathing hard into her neck.

Bella willed herself to focus on what she had to say. "I know I said we should take things slow and looking back. . . I think it was a pretty silly thing to say."

She heard his sharp intake of breath, but he made no movement, so she continued, "I am sad that you're leaving, but I don't doubt your feelings for me."

Bella hesitated before she added, "It's also made me realize that I can't let you leave here without showing you that I trust you completely. I trust you, Edward. I trust you with my heart and," she wanted to look at him, but she was too nervous, "With my body."

She waited for a response, but there was none. Bella thought that maybe Edward wanted to take things slow. He could be quite stubborn especially if he thought it was the right thing to do.

Bella was about to turn around, but then she felt his fingers undoing the tie of her dress. She felt his other hand tug on the waist.

The dress fell at her feet.

Then she felt Edward's lips kiss a trail from the back of her neck to behind her ear.

"Thank you." The two words were not enough to express the gratitude he felt. He was overwhelmed that after everything that he had done and the fact that he was leaving in a few days, Bella still chose him. Every time. And now she was offering her heart and body to him without hesitation. Would he ever deserve her? He didn't think so, but Edward decided that he would do everything he possibly could to make sure she didn't regret her choice.

She wanted to ask him what the thank you was for, but instead gasped when she felt his hands reach up and cup her breasts.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Can I. . . Your clothes. . . Take off." His mouth was working on the skin on her neck. One hand was massaging one of her breasts while the other was sliding down under her panties.

It was a moment before he said in a rough voice, "Take off your panties, but stay where you are."

She did what he asked and waited. Her anticipation was building when she heard his shirt being pulled off and then his pants unzip. Bella moved to turn around, but then she felt him stand behind her again.

His mouth returned its attention on her shoulders. His hands became occupied with the curves of her body.

Bella reached above her and threaded her fingers in Edward's hair. Soft moans escaped from her mouth.

His hand slid down her stomach and his fingers cupped her.

Her soft moans turned into whimpers and quiet pleas.

Edward raised his mouth to her ear. "Bella, I want to be good to you, but. . ."

She panted, "You always are."

"I'm trying to, but I don't think I can. . ." He cursed and his touches became more demanding. "You're so wet."

Bella could only moan in response to his actions.

"God, you're driving me crazy, but I want to be good to you. . ." Edward's teeth grazed her ear lobe. "I don't know if I can. . . slow down."

She could feel his entire length pressed against her backside. "I trust you, Edward."

When the words left her mouth, Bella found herself in front of his dresser. He placed her hands on top of it.

His voice was low, strained. "Tell me to stop." Edward was bent over her, giving her open mouthed kisses down the nape of her neck.

Bella shivered and felt the tip of him at her entrance. "No."

"I want to be good to you. It should be nicer than this."

She wiggled her hips and Edward groaned. "Bella, you don't know what you're doing to me."

"Then show me how to get it right."

"That's not what I-" He let out a strangled sound when she moved her hips back. He placed a hand on her hip to stop her movements. "We should move to the bed, so we can-"

Bella grabbed his hand on her hip. "I want you." She turned her head and their mouths met. "Please."

Any self control Edward had was now gone. He thrust himself inside her.

Bella let out a startled cry and grabbed hold of the dresser.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No." She shifted her legs, adjusting to Edward's length. "You just feel. . . different."

Edward's breath became unsteady at Bella's movements. "So, you're not. . . uncomfortable?"

"No." She bent her elbows which caused her breasts to touch the top of the dresser. "I can feel so much more of you."

"You feel different too." Edward's voice was hoarse. "So tight." He moved his hips and they both moaned.

Edward let out a deep breath. "Bella, I don't know if I can. . . I wanted to be gentler."

She moved her hips which earned her another strangled sound. "Edward, if you don't shut the hell up-"

Before she could say anything else, Edward thrust into her causing his keys and wallet to fall off the dresser and scatter on the ground. She moaned and then braced herself. Soon he was moving in and out of her without hesitation.

Bella never made love like this. She gripped the dresser tighter, enjoying the sensations from Edward's thrusts. The friction in this position felt more intense. She wanted more and rocked her hips back against Edward's.

"Jesus, Bella."

She could feel him move deeper with that movement. It was amazing and torturous at the same time. She wanted more.

Edward planted one of his hands beside her on the dresser and with the other he reached down and rubbed her clit.

"Oh God, Edward!"

She could feel his short breaths on her neck which added to the sensations. Bella could feel his chest pressed against her back and the sounds of their skins slapping against each other was now being harmonized with the sound of Bella's knees thumping against the dresser.

Just when she felt like he was going to break her in half, Edward reached a spot inside her that caused her to throw her head back.

"Right there. Don't stop."

He grunted and continued to pound against her. She was panting and pleading with him not to stop. He didn't know how much longer he would last with her begging like that. He pressed down harder on her clit which caused her to convulse around him.

Not long after Bella's release, Edward let go. They were a tangle mess of limbs, sprawled on top of the dresser, trying to catch their breaths.

After a moment, Edward kissed the side of her face and asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded while trying to catch her breath.

He stepped back and when he pulled himself out of her, Bella whimpered. He was careful to turn her body around and drew her into his arms to support her.

He leaned back against the dresser while he held her. "I got carried away."

Bella rested her head on his bare chest. "We both did."

He kissed the top of her head. "It shouldn't have been like that."

She pulled her face away from his chest to look up at him. "Why not?"

He cupped her face and ran his thumb across the apple of her cheek. "I could've hurt you."

"Edward, don't be silly. I'm not fragile."

"But I could've been more careful."

"In case you missed it, I wasn't complaining."

A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "No, you certainly weren't." Then his face sobered. "But I wanted to. . . I love you and I wanted the first time to. . ." He rested his forehead against hers. "I practically attacked you."

Bella reached up and held his face. "What do you mean the first time? This isn't the first time, Edward."

He pulled away and studied her for a minute before he said, "Technically, no, but that night at the cabin. . . I got so carried away and I should've told you then, but I thought I could show you. Then when I tried to tell you. . ." He closed his eyes at the bitter memory, but pressed on. "I promised myself that if you ever gave me another chance to make love to you again, I'd. . . be good to you. Better than that night. And now. . ."

She felt her heart melt at the torn look on his face. She leaned in and kissed his chin.

His eyes softened.

She kissed the corner of his mouth. "I never imagined it could be like this."

"Like what?"

"Consuming. Greedy. Satisfying. Insatiable. Horny all the time."

With each word, Edward's smile grew, but at the last phrase he let out a small laugh.

"It's the same way for me," he said.

"Then I don't want to waste anymore time thinking about the right thing to do." She brushed away at a stray hair that had fallen across his forehead. "I want you."

He studied her face for half a minute. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and then he said, "I'll try to be more careful then."

"Don't hold back. Don't hide what you want."

"But-"

"I want to know what you're thinking, how you feel." She gave him a light kiss on his lips. "We shouldn't hide our feelings anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"Edward, I can hardly stand. I'm sure I'll have bruises on my knees in the morning and I think I'm losing my voice."

Edward let out another laugh.

Bella steadied herself. "If this is you not being good, don't ever stop."

He kissed her beneath her ear. "We have to sleep eventually."

"Eventually, but not yet." She mirrored his kiss.

Then their lips found each other, nipping, sucking, and then finally parting and allowing their tongues to meet. They realized it was the first time they really kissed the other person tonight and their kiss became more urgent.

Edward's hands began a careful exploration of Bella's body. It was a familiar journey that he would never get tired of. Her curves were soft and warm which caused his mind to think of another place. His hand slid down her stomach and then his fingers nestled between her thighs.

Soft, warm, and wet.

His fingers teased her and caused her to let out a throaty gasp. He couldn't help smiling and then sprinkled kisses on her collarbone.

Bella felt the smile on her skin, but could hardly form coherent thoughts let alone string together words. When she felt his finger circling her entrance, a soft cry escaped from her throat.

Edward covered his mouth over hers, lapping at her tongue. Her hips moved against his hand and he groaned into her mouth.

He pulled away and gave her a smoldering look. His voice was low and hoarse. "Bella?"

It took a moment for her to realize he was trying to get her attention. "Yes?"

He kissed her, but when he talked, his lips were still on hers. "Have you ever been fucked against a wall?"

She almost came undone at the question, but he seemed to already know the answer and Bella found herself already pressed against the wall next to the dresser.

She grabbed on the edge of it when he hooked her leg over his hip. "No."

"I'll try to be good." He nipped at her neck.

"Do your worse, or best in this case." She wiggled her hips and aligned herself with him.

He let out a short breath when he felt the wetness of her entrance on his tip. "But it might take all night to get it just right."

She was about to laugh, but when he slid himself inside her, it came out as a strangled sound.

"That good?" He thrust inside her again, but his tone was teasing.

She moaned and stuttered, "No, keep trying."

He felt laughter bubbling in his throat, but it came out as a low grumble from his chest when Bella tightened her thighs around his waist.

Any effort to carry on the conversation was abandoned. It was replaced with unsteady breathing and Bella enjoying Edward's earnest attempts to get it just right.

* * *

**Chapter Note:**

I should warn those of you in advance who are not comfortable with scenes of a sexual nature that since the story is winding down and Bella and Edward have _clearly_ gotten over any misgivings of an intimate physical nature, there will be other scenes of sexual content in the last chapters of this story. I will mention as I have in previous chapters where the sexual content is and you can skim past it if you'd like, but please note, this story is rated M for a reason.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm forever apologizing for the delay between posts, but I sincerely mean it each time. RL is so crazy with two young ones. I'm thankful you all haven't given up on me.

And please know that I am determined to finish MBBF. In fact, there are **only 2 chapters** left. I'm currently working on the penultimate chapter right now (I'm about +2000 words into it). I can't say when I'll be finished, but it will get finished!

I want to give a special thanks to **sherylaf** who initially stepped in to beta this chapter when my betas went off on vacation. This chapter was originally part of chapter 19 and turned out to be super long (+20,000 words originally) and, so she got trapped beta-ing both parts. I thought she got the short end of the stick b/c she was stuck beta-ing for me, but she went all out and even found pictures of Bella's dress and Edward's suit in this chapter. LOL. They're posted at the twilighted forum for MBBF.

Thanks also to **StarLightSuccubus** for getting me on twitter. It's so much fun, bb! Thanks also to **meganbagan** for mentioning MBBF on **The Cullens Court Cast: A Twilight Podcast**. **meganbagan** and **kyla713** do a fabulous job talking about Twilight, movies, Robert, and fanfic. Their guest speaker for the first episode is **SorceressCirce** author of **Just One of the Guys**. Check them out! And for the ladies on my twitter list and at the twilighted forums, kitty hugs to you! :D


	20. Chapter 20: It's You

This is the penultimate chapter! Please read the author's note at the end.

Note: Word Count +13,000

**Chapter Rating: NC-17 for sexual content**

**Sexual Content is near the end of the chapter.**

**Chapter 20 "It's You"**

_I'm building an antenna_

_Transmissions will be sent when I am through_

_Maybe we could meet again further down the river_

_And share what we both discovered..._

_Then revel in the view._

"Aqueous Transmission" by Incubus

After a hot shower, Bella walked into Alice's room, grunted, and passed out on her bed. She didn't have to guess what she and Edward were up to last night.

She heard them loud and clear.

Alice gave an appraising look at Bella's unconscious form. She picked up one of her legs and shook it.

"Bella, wake up!"

She stirred and groaned, but did not wake up.

"Come on, Bella. We need to get your manicure started."

It was a moment before Bella turned flat on her back. "Can't I just lay here while she does it?"

"What happened to your knees?" Alice asked, pointing.

Bella was only wearing a button down shirt and her underwear. She lifted her head and looked. Then her face broke into a wide, sheepish smile.

Alice shook her head. "I don't even want to know."

Rosalie was sitting in a chair getting her hair done. "I take it not only did you have a late night, but it was. . . good?"

Bella turned on her side, folded an elbow, and rested her head on her hand. "Spectacular."

"Linda is waiting." Alice sat in a chair next to Rosalie and a young woman proceeded to dab Alice's face with a makeup sponge.

"Just give me a second." She'd been asleep the whole time, but when she woke up and started moving around, her bladder felt like it was going to burst. While finishing up, Bella realized that she was half dressed, but she couldn't even be bothered to care. Alice had been hounding her to get ready, so Bella had grabbed the first thing she saw.

She walked out of the bathroom with a slight wobble in her step and then sat in another chair at a small table. The lady behind it took one of her hands and proceeded to file down her nails.

"If you're hobbling, I'd say it was more than spectacular." Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her.

"I wasn't hobbling." Bella tucked a leg under her. "I'm just a little unsteady on my feet that's all."

"What were you doing last night that caused you to be a little unsteady on your feet?" Rosalie asked with a knowing look.

"Nothing." She felt her cheeks burn.

"It didn't sound like nothing," Alice said.

Bella's eyes widened. "You. . ."

"I'm just a few feet down the hall."

"But-"

"And it wasn't just last night either."

Bella slid down in her chair a half inch. "It was the morning." It sounded like a perfectly logical reason when Edward told her.

Rosalie laughed and Alice shook her head.

"I'm surprised you were able to get her out of Edward's room." Rosalie shut her eyes while the stylist sprayed her hair.

Alice let out a short sigh. "Don't even get me started."

"It's not my fault I didn't hear you knocking."

"Well, of course not with all the moaning."

"I wasn't that loud."

"The walls shook."

"I can't help it if your brother-"

"Ew. I don't want to hear any details."

"I was going to say it seems like he can't get enough."

Rosalie said, "It has been seven years."

"And you're not doing anything to discourage him either." Alice inspected her makeup in a hand held mirror.

She gave her a look of disbelief. "Why would I want to do that?"

"So you can eat, take care of personal hygiene issues, actually have conversations that don't involve you screaming at the top of your lungs."

"I wasn't screaming!"

Alice rolled her eyes.

Bella had one hand soaking in a small bowl while the other was being filed. "It's like what Rose said. It's been seven years. This is pretty much all my fantasies coming true. Plus he's leaving on Sunday, so-"

Alice looked up from the mirror. "Wait, he's leaving tomorrow?"

Rosalie looked over the stylist who was standing in front of her. "He's leaving?"

She looked at both of them in surprise. "Yeah. You guys didn't know?"

Alice put down the mirror. "Well, when he first got here he told me when he was leaving, but I assumed since you two. . . that he'd change his plans and stay longer."

Bella couldn't help hiding the wistful expression on her face. "No. He really has to get back to work."

The stylist stepped aside and Rose stepped out of the chair and walked over to the bed which was near Bella. She sat at the edge and said, "He's leaving you to go back to work?"

"He has responsibilities. And he made those plans before we started. . . going out."

Alice said, "But. . . he didn't even try to change his plans?"

"I don't want him to."

Alice and Rosalie looked at her with disbelief.

"I mean, of course I want him to stay, but for God's sake, he's working on a cure for cancer. I think that's a pretty good reason for him to leave, right?"

Alice and Rosalie exchanged a look. Then Alice said, "Are you sure you're really alright with this?"

Bella nodded.

"But, what's going to happen with you guys now?" Rosalie asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to visit him? Is he coming back?"

"I don't know. We haven't really talked about it."

Alice giggled and mumbled, "Yeah, you've been busy doing other things."

Bella glared at her.

Rosalie said, "Long distance relationships can be hard."

Bella's expression softened at Rosalie's comment.

"Yeah, but look at me and Jasper. We did the long distance relationship from New York to California and things worked out."

"But you guys are like really solid." Bella shoulders sank.

Rosalie said, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset. I just. . . I guess I didn't really think this through."

"I'm sure you guys will be fine." With her makeup finished, Alice sat next to Rosalie on her bed. "Edward loves you so much. He's not going to make the same mistake twice."

Bella sighed. "I know. It's just. . . it feels like I just got him back and now he has to leave again."

Before either of them could say anything, there was a light knock on the door.

Alice said, "That's probably my mom. She and Aunt Tanya are getting their hair and make-up done too."

Rosalie went to go answer the door.

Instead of Esme walking in, a distinct male voice carried through the room. "Are you guys still getting ready?"

Before Rosalie could answer, Bella leapt out of her seat and ran to the door. The manicurist was a bit put out, but when she saw who was waiting, she couldn't help admiring the attractive young man.

Rosalie had just barely cleared the doorway before Bella launched herself onto Edward. He stumbled further into the hallway and caught Bella while she wrapped her legs around him.

Edward let out a hearty laugh, but was immediately silenced with Bella's mouth over his.

"Don't you dare disappear into Edward's room!" Alice yelled still perched on her bed.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and went back inside Alice's room, but left the door open so they could make sure Bella didn't sneak away.

After Edward's mouth had been ravaged, she pulled away and said, "I missed you."

He gave her a lopsided smile and looked up at her with bright eyes. "I could get used to this type of greeting."

Bella's fingers weaved their way through his messy hair. "I'm supposed to be upset with you."

The good humor on his face disappeared and was replaced with concern. "Why?"

She lowered her lips next to his ear. "Alice said we were loud."

He stifled a laugh that threatened to escape. She still had her legs wrapped around him. Edward tightened his hold on her. "I'm not the noisy one."

Bella crossed her ankles behind his back. "I wouldn't be so noisy if it weren't for you."

"You didn't seem to mind." He cupped her bottom.

She gave him a soft kiss. "Alice said that I shouldn't let you have your way so much."

"Just for that, I should take you back to my room." He squeezed her which caused her to squeal.

"Edward, I have to finish getting ready." She tried to sound forceful, but there was a slight tone of regret in her voice.

"You look beautiful. And nice shirt by the way."

She was wearing his dress shirt from last night. "I needed something that unbuttoned."

"For me?" He nuzzled the curve of her neck. "How thoughtful."

She couldn't help giggling. "No. Alice didn't want my hair getting messed up."

He lifted his face up and inspected her hair. "Um. . . it's already messy."

"That's because they still have to fix it."

"Well, if that's the case," he took her bottom lip between his, "we could get it messier."

"Edward, we really shouldn't." She tightened her legs around his waist and then kissed the skin below his ear.

He took it as an invitation. Their mouths met and Edward stumbled toward his room, trying to make sure not to drop Bella.

"Edward Anthony Cullen."

Edward's and Bella's heads snapped up.

Esme and Tanya stood at the top of the stairs. Esme wore a shocked expression and Tanya held a hand to her mouth, hiding her amusement.

Bella wiggled out of Edward's grasp, but he was reluctant to let go. She slapped him on the shoulder and he rolled his eyes and put her down.

"You, young man, are supposed to be playing golf with your father and the others." Esme had a hand on her hip.

"But, mom, I just-"

"Go. Now."

"Can't I at least say goodbye-"

"Edward."

"To my girlfriend."

At the mention of the word girlfriend, the severe look on Esme's face softened. "Girlfriend?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes."

"Since when?"

Bella and Edward exchanged looks. It was a second before Edward said, "Since. . . yesterday."

"And you didn't say anything?"

"I wanted to talk to Charlie first."

"You talked to Charlie, but not us?"

"Mom."

"Don't mom me. I shouldn't have found out _this_ way that Bella's your girlfriend."

Edward had the decency to feel ashamed. "I'm sorry." He pulled Bella in front of him. "Mom, this is my girlfriend Bella Swan."

Esme smiled and nodded. Then she hugged Bella and whispered in her ear, "It's about damn time."

She couldn't help giggling.

"If you guys are done with Edward, Bella needs to finish getting ready," Alice said from her bedroom doorway.

Tanya wore a good-natured smile before she disappeared into Alice's room.

Esme said, "Edward, I think it's wonderful that you finally made things official with Bella." She cleared her throat and then said, "But you will not be hauling off with her like a barbarian. I taught you better than that." She gave a small smile to Bella and walked into Alice's room.

"You've got three minutes to say goodbye before I drag you in here." And with that Alice returned to her room and shut the door.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair. "What the hell was that?"

Bella wrapped her arms around his waist. "I think your mom was a little upset."

"A little? She didn't have to make such a big deal about it."

"She seems really happy for you."

"For us."

"What's so wrong about that?"

He looked down at her and couldn't help smiling. "Nothing." Then he wrapped his arms around her. "I wish we could sneak away and be alone."

"Me, too."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

Bella's eyes widened. "Edward, don't. Alice is going to be mad at me."

He dipped his head and pressed his lips onto hers. "We've got a few minutes."

"That's what you said this morning and it took more than just a few minutes."

"I'm sorry." He kissed her again.

"No, you're not."

"Okay. I'm not, but you were tempting me."

She laughed. "I was asleep!"

"Naked."

"That couldn't be helped."

"And you were pressed against me." He drew her closer to him. "So warm, too."

Bella willed her eyes not to cross when Edward's hand slipped underneath his shirt and teased her nipple. She bit her lower lip to stifle the moan that threatened to spill from her mouth.

"Bella?"

His voice was rough, full of need and it sounded exactly the same way right before he slid inside her this morning.

She was supposed to tear herself away from him, but when he sounded like that, with his hands exploring her body, Bella was helpless to resist. She didn't want to.

Needless to say, Alice had to go search for Bella.

* * * * *

Edward sat back in the hotel's hot tub. The jet sprays and hot water helped to relieve his sore muscles. Golf was a lot of fun and afterward he and Jasper returned to the hotel to swim laps in the pool. The wedding was a couple of hours away and knowing Alice, he was sure it would be perfect.

It was a great day. Although Jasper and his dad gave him a hard time about showing up late to the golf course. He did apologize, but Edward couldn't help it if he wasn't actually sorry. It was worth it.

They couldn't even make it back to his room and ended up in the bathroom. He wasn't going to let things go too far, but Bella had her own agenda and it involved the mirror.

"You've had the stupid grin on your face the whole day. People will think you're the one getting married and not me."

Edward opened his eyes to see Jasper sitting across from him in the hot tub. He shrugged. "Can't help it."

Jasper cleared his throat and said, "Alice might've mentioned something."

He let out a small laugh. "She's pretty upset with me because Bella still had to get ready for the wedding."

"I don't think it had to do with that, but more with the fact that she had to pry her older brother away from his girlfriend." He cleared his throat before he said, "Off of maybe is more like it."

It was already warm in the hot tub, but Edward felt his body temperature shoot up anyway. "I just. . . I don't. . . I have no self control when it comes to Bella."

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I'm just asking you to keep it in check until after the wedding. Alice has a lot to worry about and she doesn't need an errant bridesmaid to worry about, too."

Edward held up his hands. "Point taken. I'll apologize to her later." He dropped his hands back in the water. "But she can't really get mad if we leave the reception early, can she?"

Jasper laughed. "I'll make you a deal. After we get through all the reception stuff, I'll try to get us out of there as soon as possible. That way you won't have to worry about incurring the wrath of your sister for disappearing."

"Alright."

Edward sat back. The jet spray and warmth of the water should be relaxing, but he couldn't help feeling anxious. He wasn't nervous about the wedding, but he felt a gentle hum vibrate through him, making him anxious like a live wire. He had not been so on edge before except back in high school. He was reminded of an evening in the back seat of a car and Bella's bare leg brushing against him.

Back then it was pure agony because there was no outlet for it. To have to be constantly exposed to such emotions and not being able to find any release was torturous to say the least.

Now that he had been able to channel those desires and find pleasure in them, his body was impatient and expectant for more.

"So, it seems that Bella took the news of you leaving tomorrow a lot better than expected?" Jasper's voice broke through Edward's thoughts of Bella's bare legs wrapped around him.

He nodded. "I was prepared for the worst, but she. . . surprised me." That was an understatement.

"I was about to ask if you guys had time to talk about things, but based on Alice's. . . comments, it doesn't seem like it." Jasper gave him a good natured expression.

"No. . . I suppose we've been carried away with. . . things." He shifted in his seat. "I. . . I don't want to leave her again."

Jasper nodded and waited for him to continue.

"I'm already thinking about when I can come back. Things in the lab are going to be crazy and I'll have to sort it all out. I don't know how long that will take."

"Long distance relationships are hard. There are days when you wish you could just get on a plane and get to her as soon as possible."

In the afterglow of being with Bella, Edward hadn't really thought about the actual logistics of having a long distance relationship. He was enjoying the moment; the here and now of having Bella so close. When he thought about being back at work and how Bella fit into his life, Edward only thought about getting back to her. He didn't think about the days in between the waiting.

Jasper saw the contemplative expression on Edward's face and continued, "Other times, a whole day will go by and you'll realize that you haven't thought of her once and feel really guilty."

Edward straightened up. "I can't imagine that happening."

"It's hard to imagine it, but it will happen. Especially with the way you throw yourself into your work."

Edward was about to argue with him, but instead said, "I can't let that happen."

"Then don't."

Edward let out a frustrated sigh. "Jasper, you and Alice. . . it was so easy for both of you. I don't know if-"

Jasper held up his hand. "It wasn't always easy." He hesitated before he said, "We were separated for a little while."

His eyes widened. "When?"

A brief look of pain flashed through his eyes before he said, "About a year ago."

Edward tried to think back to a year ago, but all he could remember was working in the lab.

"Jasper, I'm sorry. I don't remember."

"It's okay. We didn't really tell anyone about it." Jasper leaned back against the hot tub. "We were so caught up in our careers and we were spending less time trying to keep things going between us. We thought it would be good to take a break from our relationship."

Edward waited for Jasper to continue, but he didn't. "What happened?"

"I missed her."

Edward's brow wrinkled. "And that's it? You guys decided to get back together after that."

A rueful smile spread across his lips. "If it were only that easy." Jasper rubbed his forehead. "Before I tell you this, keep in mind this was a year ago and it's well in the past."

Edward nodded.

It was a minute before Jasper said, "It had been a couple of weeks since we had decided to separate. We hadn't talked, or emailed, anything at all. It was hard and it made me realize that. . . I took for granted the short emails and texts your sister would send me. To have it all stop at once. . ." He shook his head. "I had to see her, so I flew out to New York. I didn't tell her I was coming out."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "She was roommates with Kate at the time and when I showed up at their apartment, there was a man there. I had assumed it was Kate's friend, but it turned out he was there for Alice."

Edward couldn't believe he was hearing this. He couldn't believe that his sister would ever consider being with another man.

"I was distraught and. . . well, the guy ended up leaving before things got really out of hand." Jasper cringed. "We were left alone. She told me that she had waited for me. For a sign for the past month that I missed her, anything. She had been trying to salvage our relationship, but I wasn't. . ." He let out a shaky breath. "Anyway, she said that tonight was going to be the first date and she was going to see if she could really be with another man."

Edward felt his stomach tightened. Once he thought he was alright with the idea of Bella being with someone else and now the idea was out of the question.

"So, what happened?"

Jasper gave him a half smile. "Alice said that if this wasn't a sign that we were meant to be, then she didn't know what was."

Edward let out a sigh of relief. "Just like that?"

Jasper nodded. "I don't deserve her. I should've never taken her for granted and I'll spend the rest of my life showing her that I never will again."

"So, after that things changed?"

His face broke into a wide smile. "You could say that. I never let Alice forget how much I missed her and I made sure she was always thinking about me."

"How did you do that?"

He shook his head. "A gentleman doesn't divulge intimate details."

Edward frowned and then realized that perhaps that was best. He really didn't want to know any intimate details concerning his sister.

Jasper added, "Besides, you're a fairly intelligent guy, I'm sure you could think of creative ways to keep Bella interested."

Edward laughed. Bella had said that he was her own super-science genius. He had a reputation to keep up and he didn't want to disappoint. He was sure that he could come up with some creative ways to keep Bella interested.

They enjoyed the warmth of the tub in silence for a couple more minutes before Edward said, "How did you guys leave each other every time?"

Jasper opened his eyes. "We tried not to think we were leaving each other, but instead that it was just a pause until the next time we saw each other again."

If Edward were the type to see things in a half full glass kind of attitude, he could take small comfort in Jasper's words. Instead, Edward was the type to believe in fact and logic. He was a scientist after all.

The fact was that he was leaving and the logic that would follow was that he would miss her to no end. There was no amount of reason that could reconcile that fact.

He wasn't sure how he would be able to cope. Whenever he was faced with a problem, he would spend an inordinate amount of time coming up with various solutions to solve it. However, he already knew the answer: he wanted to be with Bella. It was such a simple answer, but the means of achieving the goal weren't so easy.

"You know, you guys could just move in together."

Edward's eyebrows shot up at Jasper's comment. "I. . . I don't think we're at that point yet. Things are just. . . beginning and. . . isn't that kind of sudden?"

Jasper shrugged. "It'll happen eventually, right?"

"I. . . I don't know. And if it did, where would we live?" His mind became flooded with possibilities of him moving back to Seattle. He could work from home, couldn't he? He tried to ignore the fact that the actual research work wouldn't be possible to do at home. He could transfer his research to UW. How would Dr. Pruisner take the news? He couldn't ignore the possibility that his mentor would be disappointed. He wouldn't say it, but Edward would know.

Edward said, "I don't see how it's possible."

"Well, don't rule out anything yet. You're right. It is a bit early to think about things like that. I'm sure you and Bella will figure things out."

He nodded.

In an effort to lighten the mood, Jasper asked, "Now, is there anything I should know about after the wedding?"

Edward's brow pinched.

"I just have this feeling that Emmett and Jacob are up to something."

Of course they were, but Edward wasn't going to tell Jasper that. At first they were going to defile their car with condoms and drawings of anatomically enhanced body parts for the airport ride, but then Rosalie found out and Emmett and Jacob were forced to do something nice for Alice and Jasper.

Instead, Rosalie said Emmett and Jacob were in charge of making sure that the honeymoon suite was a romantic paradise. When Emmett said how the hell was he supposed to do that? Rosalie said he better hope he figured it out quick because she was expecting that their wedding night would be just as good if not more impressive than what he came up with for Alice and Jasper.

Feeling not only the pressure of creating a romantic paradise, but also impressing Rosalie, Emmett pleaded for Bella's help. Inexperienced with these matters and liking the fact that Emmett was squirming, Bella was no help at all.

Fortunately for Emmett and Jacob, Carlie took pity on them and helped them figure out what to do.

He didn't even bother hiding his amusement about the situation. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jasper said in a warning tone, "Edward."

"Don't worry. No one will be harmed."

"I doubt that if Alice gets her hands on them."

"There's nothing to worry about. Rosalie got a hold of them before they could do any real damage."

Jasper's shoulders relaxed. He knew his sister wouldn't allow things to get out of hand.

Jasper and Edward talked for a few more minutes before going upstairs to get ready.

Edward was surprised at how calm and collected Jasper was being. When he pointed it out, Jasper shrugged and said, "I've always belonged to Alice. Today just makes it more official."

Edward could only look in wonder at his soon to be brother-in-law. He wanted to feel that confident and certain about his future.

* * * * *

Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Whitlock Hale were married on an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon.

There was no anxiety or worry felt between the bride or groom. Instead, the depth of their love for each other was evident which created an intimate feeling during the ceremony. Their family and friends had no doubt that Jasper and Alice loved each other, but after the heartwarming exchange of vows, it was apparent that they also belonged together.

At the reception, everyone was treated to a view of Elliot Bay with the sun touching down on the water. It cast a warm glow in the room which increased the soft light of the votive candles on the tables. Alice had wanted a simple, but elegant reception, so the tables and chairs were covered with crisp white linens.

When Alice and Jasper made their entrance, everyone clapped and cheered. The piano melody of Dave Barnes' _On a Night Like This_ echoed through the ballroom and Alice and Jasper turned to each other to have their first dance as husband and wife.

Bella couldn't help feeling her eyes well up at the sight of her best friend and her husband dancing together as if they were the only two people in the room. Bella wondered if she and Edward would ever get to that point.

After their first dance, the dinner course started. Alice opted for a sweetheart table for just her and Jasper while the rest of the wedding party sat with their significant others. While they ate, old standards sung by new artists were played.

After some time had passed for people to eat dinner, the Maid of Honor and the Best Man gave their speeches.

Rosalie went first and was quick to command the attention of the room. As the older sibling, she teased Jasper about having to take care of him all the time. She went into a few stories where she had to rescue Jasper from some of his boyhood adventures.

After the laughter had died down from a detailed story of how Jasper discovered that the best bug killing spray had to have the "secret ingredient" and he had used it on their mother's tomato plants, Rosalie looked at her brother with a loving expression.

She continued, "Taking care of my younger brother taught me about loyalty and unconditional love. Now, just because he's getting married doesn't mean that I'm going to stop looking after him." Rosalie turned her gaze toward Alice and said, "It just means that I'm blessed to look after him and my new sister."

Edward and Alice's relationship had always been full of gentle teasing and mutual respect. His speech was no different. He took full credit for getting Jasper and Alice together and considered giving up his day job to take on matchmaking full time.

He smiled at his sister and continued, "Even though I was responsible for introducing them, they would've found their way to each other eventually. Alice always seemed to be searching for something her whole life and she found it when she met Jasper. My sister's tenacity is to be admired."

Then Edward looked at Bella for a moment before he turned back to Alice and said, "Alice if I ever lose my way again, I'm relying on you to use some of your tenacity to point me back in the right direction."

After the speeches, festivities for the reception soon followed. The guys clamored to get in on the garter toss which Emmett won. The ladies were good sports about participating in the bouquet toss, but when it came down to it, there was a bit of a scuffle for the bouquet, but in the end Angela won much to Ben's surprise.

Afterwards, Jasper and Alice cut the cake and while it was being served, people started mingling and making their way to the dance floor.

After a couple hours of dancing and mingling, Bella sat with Carlie and Angela, catching their breath. Jacob and Ben had gone to get drinks from the bar.

"Where's Edward?" Angela asked.

"He's being social, talking with his family from out of town."

"Who was that older guy you danced with?" Carlie asked.

Bella looked in the direction Carlie had discreetly pointed to. "That's Jasper's boss, Marcus. He's kind of quiet, but nice."

Angela's brow wrinkled. "It's kind of weird that he wanted to dance with you."

Bella laughed. "Well, his son, Aro, found out that I helped Jasper with one of their ad campaigns and introduced me to his dad. Marcus had a few questions for me and said he'd like me to come in for an interview."

Carlie smiled. "That's really nice."

"But, isn't Jasper's ad agency in California?" Angela asked.

Bella nodded.

Angela's eyebrows shot up. "So. . . are you thinking of moving?"

"I. . . I don't know. I've got an interview next week here in Seattle, but since I've been busy with the wedding, I haven't had a chance to check my email. I was waiting to hear about two other job openings I applied for."

Carlie said, "In Seattle?"

Bella shifted in her seat. "One's in New York and the other is in Miami."

"I didn't know you were planning to leave Seattle." Angela looked at her friend with astonishment.

"I hadn't planned to. Those places just happened to have openings. I don't think I really have a chance though, but I thought I'd give it a try."

Even though people were laughing and music was playing, Angela lowered her voice and said, "Does Edward know?"

Bella shook her head. "I haven't told anyone. I figured if I didn't get a response, there was no use bringing it up in the first place."

"But, Bella-"

"You guys look like you're plotting something." Jacob stood behind Carlie's chair and handed her a coke. Ben walked over to Angela and handed her her drink.

She said, "Why do you think we're plotting something? We could be talking about guys."

Ben bowed his head down toward Angela's ear and in a low voice said, "I can give you something to talk about."

Angela blinked a few times before she stood up. "Um. . . will someone pass along our congratulations to Alice and Jasper." Angela took Ben's arm and started walking away. "We have to go."

When Angela and Ben disappeared through the doors, Bella, Carlie, and Rosalie looked at each other for a minute before laughing.

Jacob shook his head and held out his hand to Carlie. "Come on. Let's dance."

She took his hand and gave Rosalie and Bella a small wave before they headed to the dance floor. Rosalie and Bella watched while other people started dancing to _Moonlight Serenade. _

Bella closed her eyes for a moment. It was the first time she allowed her mind to dwell on everything. Between the new-found intimacy between her and Edward, the heartwarming exchange of vows between Alice and Jasper, and now the romantic atmosphere of the reception, Bella couldn't help feeling overwhelmed. It was the first time in a long time she had ever felt completely content.

She felt a nudge on her arm. "Are you alright?"

Bella opened her eyes to see Rosalie looking at her with concern. "Yeah. I'm good."

Her concern didn't go away when she noticed a watery look in Bella's eyes. "Are you sure? You look upset."

Bella shook her head and smiled. "No. Just. . . happy."

Rosalie smiled, concern gone. "I'm glad to see you so happy."

"I've always felt like something was missing, but I didn't know what."

"Edward?"

She laughed. "Yeah, but it's more than that." Bella turned to Rosalie. "Jasper and Alice. My brother and you." She blinked back tears. "It's the way it should be."

Rosalie threw an arm around Bella and hugged her. "You know I meant it when I said that you're like a sister to me, right?"

Bella nodded.

"I want you to be happy, too."

"I am, Rose."

Rose gave Bella a gentle squeeze. "I know you guys haven't decided how you're going to handle this long distance thing, but I want you to know, I'll support you no matter what you decide."

Bella looked at her with surprise. "Oh, you don't have to say that."

"I know I don't have to say that, but I also know that you're probably going to have make some tough decisions and I wanted you to know that I'm on your side."

Bella's brow wrinkled. She wasn't sure what she meant by that. Why would Rosalie have to choose sides?

"Is everything alright? You're not crying are you?"

They both looked up and saw Emmett watching them with a little bit of curiosity and nervousness. Charlie stood next to him with his hands in his pocket, giving them a small smile.

Bella shook her head. "Everything's fine. We were just talking."

"And don't bother asking about what. We're allowed to have our secrets," Rose said.

Emmett let out a small laugh. "Keep all your secrets. This is one of those times where I don't mind being ignorant."

Bella smiled and then looked at her father. "How you holding up?"

He nodded. "It was a nice wedding. The food was good."

And that was a lot for the Chief to say.

Rosalie said, "Careful, Chief Swan. Or I'd think you were having a good time."

He chuckled. "Too good a time. I'm not sure if I'll be able to wake up to go fishing with Billy tomorrow."

It wasn't unusual for Charlie to spend so much time with Billy while he was in town.

"You going to head out, Dad?" Emmett asked.

He nodded. "Would you mind giving Alice and Jasper my regards?"

Emmett shook his head. "I'll walk you out."

He waved him off. "You go ahead and dance with Rose. Shouldn't waste your time with me." He nodded to Bella. "Your sister will walk me out."

Bella was surprised, but was quick to recover. "Of course, Dad."

Emmett made sure their Dad had the keys and Rosalie gave Charlie a hug. He waved them off before he and Bella walked toward the exit. They walked to the hotel lobby in silence. When they reached the doors, Charlie held up a hand and they stopped.

He shuffled his feet and looked outside. "I take it you're not coming home tonight."

Bella looked down and rung her hands together. "I. . . I hadn't thought about it."

"Edward's leaving tomorrow?"

She nodded.

He rocked on his heels and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You've always had a good head on your shoulders. In fact, I think between you and Emmett, you got all the common sense."

Bella laughed.

He continued, "I know you'll be safe and responsible. You always are."

Bella felt her face grow warm.

"And Edward's always been a good person."

She chanced a look at her father.

Charlie sighed and rocked on his heels again before he said, "Does he make you happy?"

"Absolutely."

"Is he being respectful?"

"Always."

"Is he able to deal with Emmett's attitude?"

"You know they're like brothers."

It was a moment before Charlie asked, "Is it pretty serious?"

"As serious as a heart attack."

He laughed. After a minute, Charlie said, "Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Make sure to tell your mother. I don't want to have to explain. . .this. . . to her."

"Dad."

"You know how she gets."

She rolled her eyes. "I will."

He hesitated and took her in his arms. Then he whispered in her ear, "If he really does make you happy, don't ever give him up."

She knew it was a reference to her Dad's feelings for her mother. He didn't want her living with any regrets. Bella hugged him tighter.

"I won't, Dad."

He patted her back and let her go. "Good." His voice was gruff. He kissed her forehead and said, "Now go on. It looks like your boy is waiting for you." She looked at the end of the lobby and saw Edward standing there with an expression of concern.

Charlie waved him off. "Night, Bells."

"Night, Dad."

He walked through the doors toward the valet attendant. Bella watched her father and then felt Edward next to her.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Charlie saw them both standing at the entrance and motioned for them to go back inside.

Edward waved and draped an arm around Bella's shoulders and guided her back to the lobby.

They started making their way back to the reception.

"I thought you were going to leave with your Dad," Edward said.

"No. He just wanted me to walk him out."

"It looks like you guys had a pretty serious talk."

She let out a small laugh. "I guess you could say we did."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. "He just wanted to make sure that I was happy with you and that you were treating me well."

"And?"

He still had an arm wrapped around her shoulder while they walked. She raised her hand so their fingers entwined and wrapped her other arm around his waist. "I told him how you embarrassed me this morning with Alice."

Edward stopped in his tracks and he looked at Bella with apprehension. "Wait, you didn't tell him why-"

"Well, isn't that part of treating me well? So well that they could hear me in Tibet apparently."

The look of apprehension was quick to be replaced by amusement. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you complaining about how well I treat you?" They stopped walking and faced each other. Then he placed each hand on her hips.

"Could be better." She felt her skin heating up and when he brought her body against his, her whole body ignited.

"Better?" He placed an open mouth kiss on the spot below her ear. "I certainly don't want to disappoint." One of his hands that was on her hip, glided upward on her ribcage, stopping right below her breast.

Then he covered his mouth over hers and it was like kissing her for the first time. He was overwhelmed with her smell and taste, but it was home and so right.

He wanted to ask her to stay the night with him again. He pulled away, but Bella was the first to speak.

"Edward?"

His name fell from her lips in a breathless sigh. The same way it did when he first entered her and completely filled her.

He almost carried her off, but swore to himself and pressed his forehead against hers. "I promised Jasper that we wouldn't leave until he and Alice left the reception first."

"Why would you do that?" She barely managed to keep the whining tone out of her voice.

A soft smile spread across his lips. "He made me feel bad for upsetting Alice by. . . keeping you to myself."

"Like you are now?" she teased.

He pressed his lips on her forehead. "We should get back. I'm sure Alice will want to see you before they leave."

She couldn't argue with that because she knew Alice would be looking for her, so they returned to the reception. When they got there, the party was in full swing. A large crowd on the dance floor circled around Jasper and Alice while they danced to _Get Down Tonight_ by K.C. And the Sunshine Band.

Bella was surprised that disco was playing because all evening Alice had set the tone with romantic, soulful music. They joined the crowd to see what the commotion was and saw Jasper and Alice doing old school dance moves. Jasper was pop locking and Alice was backing up the bus.

Everyone was cheering and grooving to the music as well. When ABBA's _Dancing Queen_ came on, Alice shrieked, "Bella!"

When Alice found Bella standing in the crowd, she pointed at her and threw her a fishing line. Bella laughed and allowed herself to be reeled in.

Bella and Alice danced together like no one was watching. Soon, they were leading everyone into the _Cha Cha Slide_.

It was an hour of non-stop dancing before Jasper pried Alice away. Soon after the newlyweds had retired to their suite, the rest of the guests also prepared to depart.

When Bella and Edward said their goodbyes to Rosalie, Emmett, Jacob, Carlie, and Edward's parents, there was a slight hesitation as to what to do next. Not only was Emmett staying with Rosalie at the hotel, but Edward's parents and his Aunt Tanya and her family were staying there as well because they had wanted to spend more time with their family. There was an awkward moment between them while they stood in the lobby.

"So. . . do you also have a room here?" Bella asked.

Edward shook his head. "I didn't get one because. . ."

Bella nodded and averted her eyes from his.

He continued, "I still have to pack."

Her eyes widened and her gaze turned to his. "Oh. Then I should probably go home."

His brow pinched. "If you mean, come home with me, then yes. You definitely should."

She hesitated before she said, "But, I don't want to be in the way."

He took her hand in his. "I don't want to spend our last night apart."

Her features softened and then a smile spread across her lips. "I don't want to either."

He returned her smile and tugged on her hand. "Then let's go home."

They drove in companionable silence and when they got back to the house, Edward started packing and Bella decided to shower.

While Bella was in the bathroom, he changed out of his tuxedo and into a pair of pajama bottoms. Then Edward took out his luggage and laid it on his bed. He opened his closet to take inventory of what to take. He realized he was leaving with more clothes than when he first arrived. Alice had managed to not only get him some new things, but also took out most of what he brought with him. He shook his head to himself. No doubt it was Alice's attempt to keep the Mad Scientist look in check.

His bed was buried with clothes by the time Edward sorted what he wanted to take with him. He scratched his head, wondering how he would get it all to fit in his luggage.

"I didn't know you were such a clothes diva."

He was about to say that Alice is the one who needed reining in, but when he turned around Bella was standing in the doorway, her hair was slick from the shower, her face fresh without makeup, and wearing only his Forks High School t-shirt. His mouth was open, but nothing came out.

Bella's forehead wrinkled. "What? You're not even going to deny it?" She put her bag down next to the door and walked toward the bed. She balled her hands on her hips. "I bet now that you have a girlfriend, you're going to expect me to pack it all for you."

She stood next to him, folding his clothes. Edward watched her and then closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Strawberries."

Bella continued folding his clothes. "What?"

He took in another breath. "Strawberries."

"Okay."

"You smell like strawberries."

She giggled. "What are you talking about?"

They were standing shoulder to shoulder, but at Bella's question, he interrupted her task of folding clothes by taking her wrist and turning her to face him. He dipped his head and his nose nuzzled the spot just below her ear.

He murmured against her skin, "Strawberries."

Bella gripped his waist, balancing herself because she felt her knees buckling at the touch of his lips on her skin. "Alice had a bottle of this shampoo in her shower that I used to use before."

He buried his nose in her hair and grunted.

She laughed. "It's so weird because she asked me about it the other day and now there's a bottle of it in her shower."

"Yeah, weird." He reached up and gently fisted some of her hair and tilted her head to the side. He breathed a kiss on her neck.

She closed her eyes. "I didn't know you liked it so much."

He lifted his face so that his mouth was next to her ear. "This smell used to drive me crazy in high school."

Her grip on his hips tightened. "Really?"

He drew her body against his. "Isn't it obvious?"

Bella felt his obvious enjoyment on her stomach. She let out a small laugh. "Well, now it is. Back then, not so much."

He pulled away about an inch to look at her. "There was this one time when you and Alice came to my room to use my computer. I made sure to leave because I couldn't handle being in my bedroom with you."

Her expression softened.

Edward continued, "I came back when you guys were finished and you two had left. Later that night when I was going to sleep, I could smell you everywhere on my blankets and my pillows. It drove me insane."

She lifted an eyebrow. "How do you know it was me? It could've been Alice on your bed."

For a moment his eyes widened, but then he shook his head. "Alice was at my desk using my computer and I was pretty sure she didn't smell like that ever."

She smiled. "I'd actually fallen asleep while she was working on her paper. I felt so bad afterward because I was afraid you'd get mad. I thought you hated me and-"

Edward cupped her face. "I didn't hate you."

"I know. I mean, I know that now. It was just. . . I really tried to be careful around you and it just seemed to make things worse."

He shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. I was. . . even breathing was a turn on."

She tilted her head back and laughed. "You're ridiculous."

He grinned. "I was seventeen. You're lucky I didn't attack you."

"You wouldn't have hurt me."

He looked at her with disbelief. "You don't know that."

"Edward, you're always so careful."

"Bella, I was a hormonal teenager. You weren't safe."

"I trusted you."

He rested his forehead on hers. "You can't say things like that. I would've taken advantage of you."

"And I would've let you."

He groaned. "It would've been a disaster."

"It would've been a glorious disaster." She kissed the side of his neck.

"I don't think you understand what I'm trying to tell you. There were so many things I wanted to do to you-with you."

"And I'm telling you that I would've, I wanted to with you." She kissed the side of his mouth. "I still do."

"Bella." His fingers found their way to the hem of Bella's shirt. "You really shouldn't have said that."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the feel of his hands roaming her body under the shirt. "Well, you won't be able to do to me what you want with all your clothes on the bed."

A small smile spread across his lips. "I thought we established last night and this morning that we don't need a bed every time."

She couldn't help the warmth that spread across her face. "Yes, but these clothes aren't going to pack themselves."

"Fine, but you're not making this easy." His fingers played with the edge of her underwear.

"Who said I had to make things easy?" She stepped away and climbed onto the bed.

The movement gave Edward a brief look at her pink panties. The way her back arched while she crawled to the other side reminded him of having her bend over the dresser.

He was getting ready to crawl after her when she saw his expression and said, "Don't even think about it. You need to finish packing."

He sighed and then adjusted his pants. "Just don't breathe then."

She laughed and continued folding. It was a minute before Edward had calmed down enough to start putting the folded items in his luggage.

Bella said, "The wedding went well. I bet Alice is so happy."

Edward nodded. "It was a really nice wedding, but it's Alice. I wasn't expecting anything less."

"I didn't realize that they invited so many people."

"Most of them were family."

"True. I forget that you and Jasper come from big families."

"I wouldn't say that. I think it's pretty average."

"Well, maybe it's because it's just me, Em, Dad, and Mom."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, but I don't think I'm going to have a big wedding like Alice's."

He looked at her for a moment before he continued putting clothes in his luggage. "What kind of wedding do you see yourself having?"

She lifted one shoulder up and then down. "Definitely not as big as Alice's. I liked the Edgewater, but. . . I don't think that it would be right for me."

"Where do you see yourself getting married?"

"The cabin." She dropped a shirt she was folding and her eyes widened.

Edward's brows shot up. "Have you thought about this before?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. I just. . . it was what popped in my head when you asked."

He gave her a small smile before he returned his attention to packing. "That would be a really small wedding then. Simple too."

"I don't know as many people as Alice and Jasper. They're both really social people and they've lived in different places."

She was hit with feeling so small and inexperienced again. She had been thinking about her future a lot lately and she realized that the only time she'd been outside the state of Washington was to visit her mom in Florida and that she still had a lot to experience. It was one of the reasons why she applied for jobs in Miami and New York.

He said, "I thought it was every girl's dream to have a big church wedding and a reception at a fancy hotel."

She took the shirt she had folded and adjusted it. "I never could imagine myself having that kind of wedding. It just doesn't seem. . . like something I'd do."

He studied her face and saw that she was telling the truth. Bella never liked attention focused on her and he could imagine that the idea of being the focus for an entire day didn't appeal to her.

Edward asked, "Who would be there?"

"Beside my family? There's Angela and Ben and Carlie and Jacob. Jacob's dad. Rosalie and Alice and Jasper. Oh and your parents, too."

At this point, Edward stuffed everything else in his suitcase and moved it off his bed. He sat next to Bella and took her hand. "What about me?"

Her brow wrinkled. "What about you?"

He looked at their hands entwined. "Am I there?"

She looked at him with disbelief and then it was replaced with surprise. She had assumed that he would be the one she'd marry in this scenario, but Bella realized the questions he asked were not specifically focused on their situation. He hadn't used words like _our_ or _us_ when asking her questions about weddings.

Her face felt like it was on fire.

He looked up at her with a soft expression in his eyes. "It's okay. You don't have to answer."

"What do you mean?"

He shifted in his spot. "Things are still pretty new between us and it's probably way too soon to talk about. . . marriage."

"Probably."

There was an awkward pause in their conversation. Neither knew what to say next, so Edward said, "We probably should go to sleep."

Bella nodded. They got up and turned the bed down and climbed in. When Edward laid back, Bella shifted toward him and rested her head on his chest. Edward smiled at the movement before he wrapped his arms around her.

They were quiet for a moment before Bella said, "Have you thought about what kind of wedding you'd like?"

"Not really."

"Are you serious?"

"Bella, I'm a guy. We're lucky if we can find a girl who will say yes."

She let out a small laugh. "So it's the proposal that guys dream about."

"I wouldn't say we dream about it, but we do think about it."

"What kinds of things do you think about?"

"Well, the girl obviously. How to ask. Whether or not she'll say yes. What would happen if she said no."

"It sounds a lot less stressful than trying to come up with the perfect wedding."

"Anything you come up with will be perfect."

She felt a fluttering sensation in her stomach.

"Don't get me wrong. I know weddings are important for the girl, but it's not what the guy looks forward to."

"Is it the honeymoon?"

He chuckled. "No. Well, yeah, but no that's not the only thing."

"Then what?"

There was a long hesitation before he said, "Making her happy for the rest of our lives."

Bella felt her throat constrict. She tightened her arm over his waist.

"Then there's the worry of not being able to."

She swallowed hard, hoping her voice wouldn't betray the emotions she was feeling. "I'm sure you could manage."

There was another hesitation before she felt Edward shift beneath her and she found herself on her back with Edward looking down at her.

"But, do you think I could make you happy for the rest of our lives?"

Bella tried swallowing the lump in her throat, but couldn't. Instead tears fell from the corners of her eyes.

Edward's eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I know we said it was too soon to talk about marriage, but Bella. . ." He wiped the tears from her face. "It's you."

She sniffed. "Me?"

He gave her a hesitant smile. "I know you're probably not ready to even think about it yet, but. . ." He took a strand of her hair and fiddled with the end. "When we were talking about weddings and proposals, it's you."

He concentrated on the tips of her hair as if his life depended on it. "I know I won't be able to make you happy all of the time. There will be times when I annoy the hell out of you, but for all the rest, I'm pretty sure I could do it. At least, I'd like the chance to try." He looked up at her with uncertainty in his eyes. "That's if you'll let me."

He took her breath away. Never in a million years did she ever think that Edward Cullen would hope to have forever with her and she was also stunned that he would be so uncertain if she would agree.

Bella raised her hands and placed them on the sides of his face. "My brain just went dumb. Are you asking me if I could give you chance? You. Edward Cullen. The boy who I've been in love with since forever who could have any woman he wants?"

His smile grew. "There's only one woman that I want." Then he raised an eyebrow. "You've been in love with me since forever? So does that mean I might have a chance?"

She rolled her eyes feigning annoyance. "I don't know. You can be pretty slow."

His hand glided up her thigh. "I wouldn't say slow. Meticulous, yes. And if I remember correctly, you seemed to like it." His fingers found the edge of her underwear again. He lowered his head and gave an open mouth kiss on her neck. "And you know, I have this reputation of being a super science genius, so I'm a quick learner."

A small laugh bubbled into a moan when she felt his fingers dip under her panties. She said, "I might be persuaded to give you a chance."

He lowered the tip of his nose over her breast and nuzzled her nipple. "I think I can do some persuading if we had fewer clothes on."

She tugged on his pants while he tried to pull her shirt off, making it impossible to do both at the same time. They laughed at their eagerness. Bella switched to removing her shirt while Edward pulled off his pants.

When she reached down to take off her underwear, Edward said, "Let me."

She smiled and leaned back. Edward reached for her and was careful to pull off her underwear. When they were off, he sat between her legs, memorizing every curve and line of her body.

"Don't look at me like that."

He looked at her face. "Like what?"

"Like it's the last time."

His expression softened and he moved over her. "It won't be the last time." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "It'll probably be a while until the next time and I. . . I just want to go slow."

She touched her lips to his. "Me too." Her lips found his again and Edward responded with the same unhurried kiss.

They savored the feel of each other's lips, enjoying the softness and how each kiss created a slow simmering sensation of want. Bella wove her fingers through his hair, holding him in place while she took his bottom lip into her mouth. Edward let out a low murmur of approval and cupped the back of her neck and returned the gesture. They continued this exchange: nip, pull, suck.

There was so much tenderness in his kisses. He said he wanted to go slow and he seemed to really mean it. Bella felt the same way, but his unhurried pace had the opposite effect on her body. The tip of her tongue darted out and touched his lower lip. What usually happened was that Edward would comply, but he didn't. Instead he continued his deliberate study of her lips, seeming to be in no hurry to change his pace.

Bella tried to reign herself in, but then his hands began to wander. He used his finger tips to skim the skin on her arms, elbows, and forearms. Then started the process again, memorizing the lines of her arms. Bella's pulse increased when his fingers skimmed her collarbone and then made a slow descent between her breasts. Her chest heaved at the anticipation of his touch on her breasts, but he bypassed them and flattened his palm on her rib cage.

At this point, Bella's tongue pleaded for entrance into his mouth, but Edward had withdrawn his and started placing open mouth kisses on the curve of where her neck and shoulder met. She felt his tongue draw circles on her skin and she wiggled in frustration, wondering why he wouldn't kiss her like that.

Her voice was hoarse. "That's not fair."

He lifted his head and looked at her for a moment. "I want to take my time." His hand glided over her rib cage down to her hip.

She gripped his hair in his hands and kissed his mouth. "I don't know if I can go slow."

His eyes darkened at her comment. "I promise you'll like it."

She let out a small laugh. "I don't doubt I will, but I can't. . .I want. . ."

He kissed her and then said, "Me too, Bella. I just. . . I want to remember everything. The way you feel. The sounds you make. Your taste."

He dipped his head down and his tongue darted out and licked her lower lip. Bella's lips parted and Edward repeated the motion, but this time Bella's tongue met his. Their eyes met for a moment in understanding and then their mouths joined. In response, their heads tilted to deepen the kiss.

It took every ounce of Bella's will power, but she somehow managed to keep her desires in check. Her body ached for relief, but her mind and soul needed Edward just as much as he needed her.

While Edward committed her body to memory with his fingertips, Bella copied his actions. Her fingertips traced his broad shoulders and trailed over his shoulder blades. She loved how they were so distinctly masculine. Her hands moved further down, sweeping down the planes of his back, resting on his narrow hips. She enjoyed how they felt between her thighs.

Bella had been enjoying their languorous, but deliberate kissing and touching. However, when her body registered Edward between her thighs and how he was pressed against her entrance, her hips moved on instinct.

They moaned into each others' mouths, but Edward held Bella's hip still. "Not yet."

"Sorry, I just. . . I couldn't help it."

He kissed her shoulder and she felt his lips press into a smile. "Don't apologize. I love how much you want me inside of you."

"Don't you want to be inside of me?"

His head snapped up and he looked at her. Her expression was uncertain. "How could you doubt that I do?"

"It's not that I don't think you don't want to. I just. . ." She let out a sigh and said, "I wish you wouldn't hold back anymore."

He couldn't help letting a small escape. "Impatient, are we?"

Her brow furrowed and she opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

Edward had one arm angled beside her head and his other hand cupped her face. "What?"

She looked away, contemplating what to say. After a moment, she looked up at him. "It's not about the sex. I want you."

"I want you, too."

"No, not like before." She brushed away his hair from his forehead with her fingers. "I want-I need to feel connected to you. Like I belong to you."

His hand that cupped her face, slid behind her neck. He nodded.

Their eyes were locked on each others. Edward shifted his hips and Bella raised hers to meet them. A soft moan escaped her lips when he slid inside her. When her eyes fluttered closed, Edward gently squeezed her neck and she opened them again to look at him.

She was lost in the depth and warmth of his eyes. When he began to move inside of her, his gaze locked onto hers, willing her not to look away.

He moved with deep, measured strokes. His eyes were trained on hers, watching her reaction to his movements. When he lengthened his strokes, Bella hummed and skimmed her fingers on his forearms. When he shortened his strokes and filled her completely, she moaned and gripped his biceps. Her breaths became short and fanned his face.

She raised her hips to meet his, wanting more. Edward knew what she wanted and the way she looked up at him, her feelings so plainly written on her face, he couldn't deny her. He raised his hips slightly and reached under her and palmed her lower back. Then he thrust himself in a downward motion.

His name fell from her lips and her breathing was labored. She wrapped her legs around him and held on to his biceps to steady their pace.

He could feel her muscles start to flutter around him. Her head was thrown back against the pillow and her mouth was parted, moaning her pleasure. It was too much and not enough at the same time.

"Bella." He cupped her face to get her attention.

Her eyes flew open and her voice was a hoarse whisper. "I'm so close, Edward."

He slowed his hips. "I'm-I'm not ready yet."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong? Am I not doing-"

He shook his head. "No, it's not that. I. . ." He lowered his head and touched his forehead to hers. "I'm not ready for this to be over yet."

She kissed the side of his throat. "What do you want to do?"

He lowered his head and buried it in the crook of his neck. He placed a few open mouth kisses there before he said, "I want to be inside you for just a little longer."

She wrapped her arms around his body. "Okay." She knew he was close too by the way he trembled and yet he was holding himself back. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, kissing her shoulder. "You feel so good. I just. . ." He trailed kisses up her neck and across the line of her jaw. "I don't want this to end."

She smiled up at him. "I don't think we can stay like this all night."

Edward nipped at her ear. "Why not?"

Bella slid her hands over his backside and squeezed.

He hissed. "Jesus, Bella. You know I'm close."

"Yeah, so I don't see how you'll be able to hold off all night." She shifted her hips which caused him to hiss again.

He placed a hand on her hip to stop her movements. "Wait." He steadied his breath and after a minute he said, "Is it so wrong that I want to be inside of you for as long as possible?"

"Yes, because it's driving me crazy."

"Bella, I don't know how long I'll be gone before we can see each other again." He lowered his voice. "I don't want to forget."

"You won't forget." She kissed him. "And you're acting like this is the last time you'll ever make love to me." She hesitated before she said, "Is it?"

His head snapped up. "No! If I had my way, I'd make love to you every day for the rest of our lives."

Bella lowered her mouth onto the base of his throat and breathed a kiss there which earned a low grumble from Edward's chest. She let her lips linger on his skin when she said, "What's a couple of weeks apart when we have the rest of our lives?"

"A couple of weeks?"

She gave him a shy look. "I figured that's probably as long as we can be apart before we start going crazy for each other."

He laughed and then placed a kiss on her temple. "So, we'll try and see each other in a couple of weeks then?"

She nodded and started shifting her hips again. Edward still kept his grip on her hip, but this time he held her in place while he thrust his hips.

"Bella?" His voice was hoarse.

She stuttered. "Don't stop."

They had been staring into each other's eyes, but Edward had to bury his face in the crook of her neck. He was already so close and seeing Bella's expression of want almost put him over.

He reached under her again to bring her closer to him and angled his hips upward which in no time caused Bella to tighten her thighs around his waist.

His breathing was heavy in her ear when he said, "I fucking love the way you feel." His thrusts slowed, but were deep and long.

"Oh God." After a few more thrusts, Bella felt herself tighten and then shudder around him.

Edward groaned and held her tight against him, convulsing inside of her. His hips slowed.

Eventually, Edward fell to his side, bringing Bella so she was facing him. Once he had caught his breath, he kissed her.

She kissed him back and asked, "What time do you have to leave tomorrow?"

He reached for her face and his thumb caressed the apple of her cheek. "I have to leave here by ten in the morning."

She nodded. After a moment, she said, "We should probably get some sleep then."

"Soon." His hand rested on her hip. "Just give me a minute."

Bella's eyes widened. "You're not serious, are you?"

He gave her a small smile before he drew her body against his. Bella gasped when she felt his semi-aroused state against her stomach.

"Really?" She meant to tease, but her voice conveyed her excitement.

He laughed. "I have a beautiful, naked woman in my bed. Is it really that much of a surprise?"

"I'm still trying to get used to being with you like this."

Edward reached for her face. "I've already gotten used to having you in my bed."

She leaned into his touch. "Me, too."

The reality of their situation, that they were not going to see each other for at least two weeks, finally hit them both.

"Edward," Bella said, her voice raw.

He drew her closer, wrapping his arms around her. "I know, Bella."

She let herself be enclosed in his arms, never wanting him to let go. Bella sniffed and willed herself not to cry, but a few tears escaped. "I feel like I just got you back."

Edward placed soft kisses on the top of her head. "I was always yours."

This time a sob escaped her throat.

Edward tightened his hold on her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I just. . ." She sniffed and tried to pull back to wipe her eyes, but Edward wouldn't let her. "I already miss you."

"We'll call each other and text. Do you have a web cam? We can go on Skype."

"Okay."

"Before I leave, I'll give you all my contact information. I'll also give you Collin's info too just in case you can't get in touch with me."

"Collin? Your partner?"

He squeezed her shoulder. "My intern."

She laughed. "Sorry."

He kissed her forehead and held her for a while. Then he said, "If I start acting like a jackass, don't hesitate to kick my ass."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember last night how Alice and Kate were talking about how I am when I'm working?"

She nodded.

"There might have been some truth in it."

"Well, I'd imagine finding a cure for cancer takes up a bit of your time."

He chuckled. "It does, but. . . I don't mean it to. I tend to get lost in my work and. . ." He shook his head. "I'm not trying to make up excuses, so if things get hectic, I might not be as available."

She studied his face. He was really concerned. Bella placed a hand over the one that held her face. "Don't worry so much." She gave him a small smile before she said, "Besides, I'll just have to think of creative ways to make sure you're available."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Like what?"

She rolled her eyes upward as if she was really considering the question. "I don't know. I was thinking it would involve the web cam."

A smile threatened to spread across Edward's lips, but he kept it in check. "Hmm. Would I have to make sure I'm alone?"

"Probably."

His hand found its way on her hip again. "I don't deserve you." He pressed his lips on to hers.

His eyes were trained on hers again, watching and memorizing her face. She was so beautiful and the look of love in her eyes overwhelmed him. The fact that she had so much faith in him, that she would be willing to give him forever, astounded him. He didn't think he was worth it, but he would try for her.

It was on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to ask her to come back with him, but he didn't think he could. He had to prove that he was serious about their relationship. He would take care of things at work and he'd make his way back to her. Unlike before, he'd come back, showing her that he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

She brushed away a strand of hair on his forehead. "What are you thinking about?"

"You."

She smiled. "What about me?"

He was hers. He had always belonged to her. He nudged her to lay on her back and when she did, he kissed a trail between her breasts and down her stomach.

Bella let out a shaky breath. "Edward?"

He kissed the crescent shaped scar on her hip. "I'm thinking two weeks is a long time for me to go without tasting you."

Before she could say anything else, Edward's mouth was on her. Bella looked up to see his head between her thighs. When his tongue moved over her, she threw her head back and automatically shut her eyes. The image of Edward looking up at her was burned in the back of her eyelids and she knew she would be replaying that image while they were apart.

He was taking his time again. Bella was caught between never wanting him to stop and wanting a release. Her fingers became entangled in his hair and her hips moved in time with his tongue.

One of Edward's hands gripped her hip and the other glided up to cup her breast.

"No, wait." Bella lifted Edward's head.

He looked at her with confusion. "You didn't like-"

"It's not that. I didn't want to. . ." She kissed him, tasting herself on his lips. "I'm so close, but I want you inside me."

He groaned and was pulled down on top of Bella. "You do realize that I'm trying to go slow, but you're making it impossible."

"Really?" She shifted her hips and rubbed herself on him. "I thought I was being pretty easy."

He slid into her and they both moaned. She gripped his hips and it only took three long thrusts when her muscles clenched around him.

"Christ, Bella." He slowed his hips. "I want to make love to you."

Bella was about to protest and say that he was, but she only managed a low moan when he lowered his mouth on one of her nipples. He nipped and licked one and then the other. Each time he moved his mouth, he would also move inside of her. It was exquisite torture for Bella, but she was more than willing to endure it.

Edward managed to bring them to the edge and back, determined when he first started to indulge in their time together. When he'd felt himself getting close, Edward would slow his pace and start saying things in a low voice into Bella's ear.

They didn't know how long they kept this pace and they were unconcerned about the late hour. At one point, Edward stopped moving and they were content to just exchange kisses.

Eventually Edward's voice became strained and his words weren't as careful. He reached for her knee and hooked her leg around his waist and moved with decisive thrusts, angling his hips.

When Bella's muscles clenched around him, Edward fisted the sheets on both sides of Bella's head and collapsed on top of her. Their breaths came out in unsteady puffs and they kissed again until Edward moved to lay next to her.

They fell asleep soon after, spooning with one of Edward's arms around Bella's waist.

**Chapter Notes:**

So that's the wedding. The story was set on this particular event, so I hope I didn't disappoint you guys by not going into great detail about it. There could've easily been 2 more chapters about it, but I have a singular mind and wanted to focus on Bella and Edward.

Special thanks to sherylaf and spotzle for helping me cut down the wedding details so that it was more concise and stayed focus on the main plot of the story: Bella and Edward.

**Alice's Wedding Reception Playlist:**

_On a Night Like This _by David Barnes

_Young At Heart_ cover by Landon Pigg

_Embraceable You_ cover by Jane Monheit

_Moonlight Serenade _by The Glen Miller Orchestra

_Get Down Tonight_ by KC and the Sunshine Band

_Dancing Queen_ by ABBA

_Cha-Cha Slide_ by DJ Casper aka Mr. C

**Author's Note:**

That's right folks. One chapter left and it's already in the works. I don't think it will take as long to get out since the ending has been in my head since I started this story. I've been dying to write it and now that it's finally here, I'm thrilled to get it done.

A few things I want to answer that people have PM'd me re: MBBF:

• YES, I am finishing this story. I haven't forgotten about it, nor have I given up. I have a 2 year old, a 6 month old, and I work. However, I'm always thinking about this story and when I can, I squeeze in time to write/edit/revise/etc.

• No, there will not be a sequel to MBBF. Sorry. I only intended this to be about 10 chapters! I wanted a story that focused on the beginnings of a relationship: the awkwardness, the doubts, and then the understanding of the other person's feelings. I think this Bella and Edward have achieved all that, so in my opinion, their story is coming to an end.

• I do plan to write other stories once MBBF is officially finished. I have a lot of ideas started, but I'm still deciding which one to go with. I have a few short works I need to get out of my system before starting another multi-chapter story. If you are so inclined, I would be thrilled if you put me on author alert if you'd like to read more of my stories.

• On a related note, I do have some outtakes for MBBF that I was thinking of posting once the story was finished. One of the outtakes is actually in EPOV when they were in high school. I'm not sure yet if it'll be posted as part of the finale for MBBF or as a separate post for outtakes, so it might be a good idea to put me on author alert just in case.

Now for some very important thank you's:

• If you've rec'd my story to a friend, a sister, at a site, or anywhere else, or it's on your fav list, thank you. I've had a steady stream of new readers tell me that someone rec'd MBBF or they saw it mentioned somewhere and gave my story a chance.

• When I post, I think if one person reads this, that's amazing. The fact that +4,000 people have fav'd and put this story on alert boggles my mind. Thank you.

• Thank you for each an every review you guys have left. I'm sorry that I don't reply to each one, but please know I love reading your reactions and thoughts to my story.

• Special thanks to the ladies on twitter who cheer me on and get excited about MBBF. You guys are wonderful!

• And a very special thanks to the trifecta of awesome aka my betas: vjgm, spotzle, and sherylaf. I know this chapter took a long time to get out (big surprise), but they seriously did an awesome job making this chapter shiny for you guys.

Does this sound like an awards speech? Sorry. But seriously. The end is near, so tell a friend! The final chapter of MBBF is coming next.


	21. Chapter 21: Part 1 A Long Time

**Note:** This chapter is split in two parts. It had to be. It was +20, 000 words (Part 1: +9,000 words and Part 2: +11,000). Author's Note at the end of the section.

**In the previous chapter:** Alice and Jasper had their wedding and afterward Bella and Edward stayed together. They danced around the subject of marriage, saying that they each wanted forever with each other. Edward returned to work with the promise of returning in two weeks to see Bella.

**Chapter 21 "A Long Time"**

**Part 1**

From Edward's _Beautiful_ Playlist

_The only thing I'll ever ask of you_

_You've got to promise not to stop when I say when_

"Everlong" by Foo Fighters

Eight weeks.

Eight weeks since he parted from her at the airport.

Time passed differently in the lab.

He shuffled through some papers, sorting through the data from this morning. The results had not been good lately, but based on this morning's results, things were turning around. He double checked the figures on paper with what he had on the screen.

When he turned to look, his screen was filled with the image of him and Bella at Alice's wedding. It was a candid shot the photographer took. He remembered how she jumped when he came up behind her and lowered his mouth on the curve of her neck where her shoulder met. Then she blushed when he told her he could think of other things he'd like to do from behind her.

Edward stilled his hand over his mouse. He was supposed to call Bella at ten this morning. He looked at the clock on the wall and let out a string of curses because it was already noon.

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called Bella. It went straight to voicemail.

He left a brief message and hung up.

They had been playing phone tag for the past week. Time was suspended in the lab and it was always just out of his grasp. He was about to try again when there was a short knock on the door.

"Come in," he said. He cut off the music playing and then shut down his computer.

His intern Collin popped his head in the door. "Foo Fighters?"

Edward shrugged. "What's up?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm going out to pick up lunch. Want me to bring anything back?"

Edward shook his head. "I'm good." Then he looked at the time again and swore. "I need to go talk to Dr. Prusiner about the new data from this morning."

Collin nodded. "I could go in if you need."

Edward waved him off. "No. After we go over the data, we have a conference call with the CDC."

Collin made a face.

Edward smiled. Something he hadn't done often lately. "Don't worry. You don't have to sit in again."

He had a look of relief on his face. "Thanks." Collin hesitated. "Did you get a chance to talk to Bella?"

Edward got up from his chair and stretched. "No." Then he began gathering his things.

"She seemed really sad that she missed you again."

Edward's head shot up. "What do you mean?"

Collin slipped. He treaded carefully. "I. . . I might have spoken to her this morning."

Edward's eyes narrowed at him. "This morning?"

He swallowed hard before he said, "While you were using the ELISA."

Edward tipped his head back and closed his eyes. There was no reception in the lab room that housed the ELISA machine. He rubbed his forehead and then said in weary tone, "She called you again?"

"No." He didn't want to tell him, but knew he should. "She was on Skype this morning."

He looked back at his computer that was already shut down. "How long did she wait?"

Collin made another face.

"How long, Collin?"

He let out a short breath. "Half an hour."

He cursed again and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Maybe you could try again. She said she'd be home today." It was the wrong thing to say.

The expression on Edward's face was a mixture of anger and hurt.

Collin held up his hands. "I'm sorry. I just. . ."

Edward's expression softened and it was replaced with a resigned one. "It's pretty sad that my intern knows more about my girlfriend's whereabouts than me."

"No, Edward. I'm just relaying a message."

He waved him off. "I know. It's just. . ." He looked back at the computer, willing it to somehow turn on and have Bella's face occupy the screen.

"Why don't you call her? You have a few minutes."

Edward looked at Collin and then at his computer. Then he took out his phone and held it in his hand. He was about to call Bella when his office phone rang.

Edward groaned and put his phone back in his pocket. "Tell Heidi I'm on my way." He left before Collin could say anything.

Collin answered the phone and sure enough it was Dr. Pruisner's assistant, asking if Edward was ready with the data. Collin told her Edward was on his way and then he hung up.

He left Edward's office and shut the door behind him. The other interns tended to be nosey especially since they found out how hot Edward's girlfriend is.

"Oh man, did you get to talk to her again?" Max asked, following at his heels.

"No."

"What was she wearing this morning when you talked to her?" Another intern Riley asked.

"Clothes."

Max and Riley let out a disappointed groan.

"It was just that one time and technically she was wearing clothes, so get over it," Collin said.

Riley said, "I don't know. I heard there was definite cleavage showing."

Collin rounded on the younger intern. "Don't ever talk about Edward's girlfriend like that."

"Oh come on. How did he end up with a girl like that?" Riley scoffed.

Collin narrowed his eyes at him which caused Riley to back up. "Edward Cullen is a fucking genius," he paused, looking at Riley and then at Max for emphasis, "Of course he'd end up with someone like Bella because unlike you two asshats, Edward Cullen deserves someone like her."

Riley shook his head and walked off, muttering prick in a low voice.

Collin turned to leave, but Max followed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect," Max said.

"Whatever," Collin said, walking through the exit.

Max kept up with Collin's pace. "So, is Edward leaving?"

Collin made his way to the Student Union. "No."

"I thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong."

They walked in silence together. Riley was a douche and the only reason he was there was because of his connection to Victoria. Apparently, she and Edward were good friends and she had called in a favor. He didn't think that whatever Edward felt he owed Victoria was worth the aggravation of having Riley in their lab, but he wasn't about to argue that point.

Max made his way into their lab on his own merit. He was bright and hardworking which was good considering how hard Edward was being on everyone. It was unfortunate that Max hadn't arrived pre-Bella Edward because he was a lot more easy going then.

Max said, "Dr. Pruisner is going let him see his girlfriend, right?"

Collin cocked his head toward Max. He had a sincere expression on his face. "Why do you care?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I think it'd be nice to have a break from him for a while."

Collin couldn't help letting out a small laugh. Edward had been difficult to be around. His music was a good way to gauge what type of mood he was in. When he got back, his office was filled with some classical piece that he found out that Edward had written and then MGMT's _Electric Feel_. Edward had even put a picture of that cartoon character Dexter in his office which was really weird because Edward didn't seem like the Dexter type at all.

"It hasn't been too bad lately," Collin said.

"True. He's started playing music in his office again."

Collin cringed. He hadn't realized that the others had picked up on the music as clues to Edward's moods. Edward hadn't played any music in his office for two weeks. No music was very bad.

"So you noticed?" Collin asked.

He nodded. "I know not to go in his office if he has Smashing Pumpkins playing. It's too bad Riley doesn't realize that yet."

They both exchange knowing smiles and then laughed. Good. He didn't like Riley either.

They entered the Student Union and picked up some sandwiches.

"Are we going back to the lab?" Max asked.

Collin shook his head. "Edward is going to be with Dr. Pruisner for a while."

They sat and ate their lunch. Well, Collin ate while Max did most of the talking.

"Is it true that we're all invited to Edward's place next Friday for the housewarming party?" Max asked.

Collin shook his head and swallowed his food. "Yes, but it's not his place. He moved in with his sister. She and her husband bought a new house."

"So, Edward lives at his sister's house now?"

"Not exactly. He said his sister and her husband bought a house with a guest house on the property. I guess he's really close with his sister and so he moved in to the guest house."

"That's cool, but anything's got to be better than living in grad housing."

"Yeah." Edward had lived in the same building as Collin.

"So, does Edward have any other sisters?" Max asked.

Collin laughed. "No. Just the married one."

"Figures." Max stuffed his mouth with half of his sandwich.

Collin shook his head. "Nice. And you wonder why you don't have a girlfriend."

Max stopped mid-chew and mumbled, "What?"

Collin laughed. "Come on. We should head back."

Max stuffed the rest of his sandwich back in his mouth and they walked back to the lab.

When they got there, Riley ran up to them. "Shit, you guys. Things are not good right now."

Collin's brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

"Dr. Pruisner is doing his pissed off, but silent brooding thing. Edward. . ." He looked over his shoulder. "He's in his office, but the door's shut." He lowered his voice. "I heard the CDC wants him to fly out to Atlanta this week."

Max smiled. "But that's a good thing, right?"

Collin gave him a small smile. "Yeah. It's good."

Riley's eyes widened. "He's moving to the CDC? Who's he taking?"

Collin shook his head. "Look, we don't know everything yet. It could be nothing. Just calm down."

He walked away from them and headed toward Edward's office. He heard it before he even reached the door.

Smashing Pumpkins.

He turned around and planned to talk to him when Smashing Pumpkins wasn't playing anymore.

It could only mean that there was some truth to what Riley had said. Edward worked so hard to get ahead on his research which is why the CDC was so interested.

But Collin was the only one who knew why Edward worked so hard.

He didn't do it for the CDC or even Dr. Pruisner.

The reason was tucked away in Seattle, waiting to hear from Edward.

Collin let out a frustrated sigh and decided he had to man up and talk to Edward. He would face his wrath and then help out his friend figure out what to do.

* * * * *

Emmett was a simple man. If something needed to be fixed, you assessed the damage, retrieved the necessary tools, and fixed it. Sometimes when you fixed something, it was better than before. There wasn't anything that Emmett couldn't fix.

And for the first time in his life, he couldn't fix this.

This wasn't like the last time. Last time Bella seemed fine, but there was something not quite right. He couldn't place his finger on it at the time and now that he knew the reason, it made sense.

This time, however, Bella tried to put on a brave face again, but it was quite apparent that she was unhappy. She didn't cry or hide in her room about missing Edward. In fact, she carried on like usual. The difference before was that she tried to pretend she was happy and now she did not even hide it.

At first, she was fine when Edward left. They talked all the time and when he went to bed, he saw a dim light peeking from under her door. No doubt she was online talking to Edward.

But as the days passed, she was anxious and inattentive. Then finally when Edward was supposed to visit, it was like her body and attitude had become incandescent.

Then something happened at the lab at the last minute. Emmett still wasn't sure what exactly happened.

Bella hadn't been the same since.

She still went through the motions of day to day interactions with him and Rosalie, but she was on autopilot. She would be gone all day and he didn't know where she would disappear to. She stopped working at the library and as far he knew, she hadn't decided on a job yet.

He tried talking to her about her job situation, but all she would say was that she wasn't sure what she was going to do. He had a feeling that she wasn't just talking about her career choice.

He suspected that she stayed away from the house so much because Rosalie had moved in with them and maybe she didn't feel comfortable around them anymore. Emmett had brought it up with Rosalie and she pointed out that Bella probably didn't want a reminder of what she didn't have.

Emmett wondered what was happening with Edward. Several times he wanted to call and ask him what the hell was going on, but Rosalie stopped him. She said they needed to work things out on their own and that he shouldn't get in the middle of it.

She was right of course, but it still hurt to see his sister so out of sorts.

Emmett sat in his car for a moment. He saw Bella's car parked out front as well. She was actually home this time. He hoped that today was a better day.

Two nights ago when they were having dinner together, Emmett tried to get her to join in the conversation. She did, but only when she was asked a question. After dinner, they all decided to watch a movie. Right before the movie was going to start, Bella changed her mind and went out for a run. He got worried when the movie ended and Bella hadn't returned. He checked her room and there was a note stating that she was going to stay at Angela's place.

He couldn't help feeling a little hurt about it. Why was she avoiding him?

Emmett scrubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands and then got out of his car. He made his way through the house which was filled with the aroma of a slow cooking pot roast. Hope immediately prickled in his chest that maybe Bella was doing better.

When he entered the kitchen, a tall blonde looking the picture of a modern house wife was bent over the stove, tasting sauce from a pot.

"Oh, I thought-"

Rosalie held up her hand. "Don't worry. She did start dinner, but told me what to do. She's in the garage."

He made his way to the door that led to the garage. "The garage? Laundry?"

"No, she's beating the crap out of her punching bag."

A wide grin broke across his face. "That's my girl." Emmett would rather have Ass Kicking Bella any day then Mopey Bella.

Rosalie shook her head. "I wouldn't get too excited. Smashing Pumpkins has been playing."

His grin became bigger. "That's excellent."

Her brow furrowed. "I thought you said it meant-"

"It does. It also means that she's not moping around anymore."

"Oh." She gave him a small smile, but then it faltered. "He wasn't around again when she got on this morning."

His jaw flinched, but he reined himself in. "What the hell is going on with him?"

Rosalie wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "Alice says that he spends all his time at the lab. She doesn't think he's even been home all weekend."

"What? Does he live at the lab now?"

She shrugged. "He goes in really early and comes home even later. He's not messing around or anything like that. He's working all the time."

Emmett scratched his head. "Well, he's got to eat and sleep. I mean, he needs to take a break sometime, right?"

"You'd think." Rosalie looked at the door, making sure it was still shut before she said, "Alice said that he's not doing too well either."

He rubbed his forehead. "Well, what the hell is going on with them? I still don't understand why he didn't come out when he said he would."

"It was work."

"I know that, but he even had a plane ticket too."

Rosalie sighed. "From what I can gather from both Bella and Alice, when he was supposed to come visit, there was a problem with the data. Alice said that weekend he was supposed to be here, he spent it all at the lab."

Emmett shook his head. "Whatever. I'm going to check on Bella." He walked over to Rosalie and gave her a kiss before he went into the garage.

Bella's back was facing him when he opened the door and stepped into the garage. Instead of _Smashing Pumpkins_, she had _Incubus_ playing. It meant it was somewhat safe. He waited for _Circles _to stop playing and watched while Bella unleashed a barrage of punches. He couldn't help smiling at the thought that if Edward were here now, no doubt he would get a beat down.

When the song ended, the mellow strumming of a guitar filled the room, and _I Miss You_ echoed through the room.

Bella stopped. Her brow pinched and she stood in front of the punching bag. Emmett figured the mellow music threw off her momentum, but instead, Bella let out a long sigh when someone is resigned to the situation. Then she threw her arms around the punching bag.

Emmett shut off the music and stepped toward her. "Bella?"

She was quick to straighten up. "Emmett? How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough, Bella." He took another step toward her, saddened by the weary look on her face. He held his arms out.

She hesitated before she threw herself at him.

"He wasn't there again."

"I know. Rosie, told me."

"I know he's busy with work, but. . ." She rubbed her forehead. "God, I want to kick his ass."

He couldn't help laughing. "You should. He deserves it."

She stayed in her brother's arms.

In an attempt to distract her, he asked, "How was Miami? And Mom?"

"Good. The interview went better than I thought and Mom. . . is Mom. She and Phil are doing okay."

"That's good. Do you think you'll take the job?"

She shrugged. "I'm still waiting to hear from the one in New York."

"Which one do you think you'll take?"

She pulled away from Emmett and looked up at him. "I haven't heard from either one of them. Isn't it kind of premature to think I got them?"

"You got the one here."

She couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, well that was a fluke."

"No, it wasn't. And you know it. Any of those places would be lucky to have you."

She lifted one shoulder up and then down. "I guess."

He hesitated before he asked, "Have you told Edward?"

She shook her head.

"He doesn't know that you might be moving across the country?"

"Nothing's definite."

"Bella, you have to tell him."

She threw her hands up. "When, Emmett? He's never available. I could probably email him and he'd get it, but that doesn't seem right, does it?"

He thought for a minute before answering. "No."

"I just. . . I feel like if I could just talk to him, I'd get an idea of what's going on. If he even. . . cares anymore."

"He cares, Bella. He's just. . . so busy." The excuse even sounded lame to him.

"I know." She felt guilty. "His work is really important and I'm trying to be understanding about it."

"But?"

She took in a deep breath. "I. . . I'm not sure what else I can do."

He cupped his sister's face. "It'll work out."

She stepped away from his touch and returned her attention to the punching bag. "You don't know that."

Emmett stood behind the bag, spotting her. "I do. This is just a temporary glitch. Once things settle down-"

Bella pulled back her arm and let her fist connect with the bag. "It's never going to settle down. His research is too important. Once I decide where I want to work, I'll have to move, find a place to stay. . ."

"This is what growing up is about. Moving on and-"

She swung her leg for a roundhouse kick.

Emmett widened his stance and braced himself against the punching bag. "I know you don't want to hear that, but maybe-"

Bella jabbed and followed it with an upper cut punch.

"Okay." Emmett leaned into the bag, taking the hint. "So, then what do you want to do, Bella?"

She stopped and looked at him with bewilderment. Her breathing was unsteady. "What?"

"Forget about the jobs for a moment. What do you want to do?"

She looked away. "I. . ."

Emmett stepped away from the bag and came face to face with his sister. "Its' okay. You can say it."

She looked at her brother, feeling her eyes moisten. It took her a minute, but she said, "I want to be with Edward."

"Then do it."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"The jobs."

"I said forget about that for a moment."

She shifted in her spot and said, "I don't even know if he still wants me."

This time Emmett rolled his eyes. "Really? Are we going to do this again?"

Bella opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He was right. "No. I just. . . I haven't talked to him in a while, so I don't know what's going on."

"Let's say that the idea of you guys spending time together is very appealing to him on the off chance," he smiled at her and she could help returning the smile. "What other reasons are holding you back?"

She fidgeted with her gloves.

It only took one of his hands to cover both of hers to stop the fidgeting. "Come on, Bella. What's holding you back?"

Her voice cracked. "I'm scared."

His eyebrows shot up. "Scared? Why? You're not really that worried about Edward, are you?"

She shrugged. "A little. I don't know." She turned away and undid the velcro on her gloves.

Emmett followed her and laid a hand on her shoulder. He pulled her to face him. "Then what are you scared of?"

She kept her eyes trained to the ground. "I. . . I want to go see him."

Emmett waited for her to continue.

She took a deep breath and let it out. "This feels like the first time when he left. I tried everything to get in touch with him. He ignored me and no matter how many times I called or emailed, he never returned any of it." She blinked back her tears. "It hurts more this time because I know he's not avoiding me, he just. . . he's too busy. I figured if I went to see him, I could at least see if things have changed."

He nodded. "It sounds like a plan."

Her eyes widened. "You think I should-"

"What? Go to him? I'm surprised you didn't leave sooner."

Her face fell and a few tears escaped.

Emmett blinked several times. Did he say something wrong? He thought about what he said and couldn't find anything offensive. "What's the matter?"

She looked at her brother, a fat tear drop escaping down the side of her face. "Just like that? I thought you wouldn't like the idea."

He was so confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

She tried to collect herself and after a moment she said, "Because I'd have to leave. I didn't think you'd like that."

He gave her a small smile. "Of course, I don't, but if that's what you want, I'll help you."

Fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Emmett." She threw her arms around him.

He caught her, surprised by the outburst. "Sweetheart, I don't understand why you're so upset. Is it okay that I help you? I promise we can fix this."

She sobbed again, overwhelmed by her brother's words.

He held her tighter, unsure of what else to do.

After a moment, Bella's sobbing stopped. She still had tears in her eyes, but she pulled back and looked up at him. "I didn't want you to think that I was choosing Edward over you. You've always been there for me and. . ." She swiped at the tears on her cheeks. "You're my brother."

"Oh, Bella." He took her into his arms and held her tight. "Jesus, are you saying you've been staying her because of me?"

"I'm scared, too."

He pulled her away and looked at her. His eyes were moist and he said, "You have no reason to be scared. I'm sure the minute Edward sees you, he'll fall over himself, trying to get to you."

She couldn't help smiling.

He continued, "In fact, I'm sure once you go see him, he won't ever let you go."

Her smile grew, but she couldn't help the tears again, but they fell for a different reason.

"Do I like the idea of losing my sister? Hell no. But this isn't about me and if it means your happiness, then I'll help you get it." He blinked back the tears and swallowed. "And if Cullen doesn't have a lick of sense to fall down on his knees when he sees you, then I'll kick his ass myself."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She whispered, "Thank you."

He pulled back. "Don't. Not until we make sure you get what you want."

She laughed again. Then when the realization set in that she was going to see Edward, her face lit up. "Crap. What should I do? Should I call him and tell him I'm coming? Where should I stay? When should I go?"

They heard a noise of someone clearing their throat. They looked up to see Rosalie standing in the doorway. "I might be able to help you out with that part."

Bella grinned. Then she rushed to her and hugged her.

Rosalie returned the embrace, but immediately pushed her away. "Ugh. You need a shower."

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Right. I'll go shower. But what are we-"

Rosalie held up her hand. "Shower first. We'll call Alice and figure out what to do next."

"Okay." She ran out of the garage and rushed upstairs, tripping on two steps.

Emmett couldn't help laughing. "Christ, she's so happy that she's clumsy."

Rosalie gave him a simmering look.

His eyebrows shot up. "What's that look for?"

She walked toward him, keeping her gaze locked on his. "I'm so hot for you right now."

He grinned. "Really? But aren't you always?"

She smiled. "Not every man would be willing to go out of their way to make their sister happy."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh. You saw that?"

She nodded and slid a hand up his chest. "Emmett Swan, I can't wait to have your babies."

He let out a small laugh. "We should get some practice in first. You know just to make sure we get the technique right."

"Definitely." She covered his mouth with hers and shut the door.

"In the garage, Rosie?"

She pulled him toward the washer and dryer by the wall. "I'm not going to make it upstairs."

He shook his head. "Alright. I'll see what I can do." He lifted her and placed her on top of the washer and nestled himself between her thighs.

Rosalie laughed, but it was quickly silenced by Emmett's mouth on hers.

* * * * *

It was done.

True to Rosalie's word, she did help. She and Alice worked everything out so that all Bella had to do was show up.

She had hoped to talk to Edward that morning about their situation and to also tell him about her potential job offers, but instead she got Collin.

Again.

He was a nice guy and every time she spoke to him, he was friendly and amusing.

But he wasn't Edward.

Collin had told her how things were going at the lab and from what she could understand, the CDC had been very demanding of what they expected from Edward. She felt a little sorry for Edward, but not by a lot. She also felt resentful.

Edward had warned her that when he worked, he was a different person. She thought she understood that, but now, after nearly two months of not being able to see him, she readily believed it.

Now with the prospect of seeing Edward again, Bella was filled with so many mixed emotions. The first and foremost was that she was eager to see him. However, there were underlying feelings of hurt and disappointment.

She tried not to dwell on it, knowing how important his work was, but a small part of her wished that Edward would put her first. That he would put them first.

Bella shook her head, clearing it from those thoughts. It was so easy to wallow in what could've been. She had to focus on the present.

She was going through a mental checklist of what to bring and looking through her closets and drawers. Alice and Rosalie had tried to make suggestions, but she waved off their advice. She knew what Edward liked and what drove him crazy. She didn't need help with that.

Bella had doubts in the plans she had when she saw Edward. She hoped that Edward would be receptive, but she couldn't be completely sure. Emmett had said that she shouldn't doubt Edward, but that was easy for him to say. Rosalie moved in and they were around each other all the time. It was easy to be reassured of something that was already there.

She had music playing in the background while she packed, but when _Pretty Handsome Awkward_ came on she turned it up and she was reminded of soft hands on bruised knuckles.

This was it.

As Jacob had said, she was worth fighting for.

And so was Edward.

* * * * *

Edward did not even bother turning on any of the lights in the bungalow style guest house. The already interminable flight also had delays with the connecting return flight. All he could think about was getting home.

But once he was home, home wasn't really what he wanted.

Bella.

He stumbled in the dark toward his bedroom. He pushed the door open and then dropped his bags by the door. Edward scrubbed his face with the heel of his hands and trudged to the bed.

When his face hit the pillow, he let out a tired sigh. He was drifting off to sleep, but the distant sound of a rhythm with a heavy bass beat pulsed through his house. He cracked one eye open and saw the glowing numbers on his alarm clock. It was after ten at night and someone was having a party.

A party.

Edward groaned and covered his head with one of his pillows. His mind was foggy, but shining through was the detail that he wanted to keep shrouded.

Alice's housewarming party.

He had gotten to the guest house through the back gate, so he didn't have to walk past Alice's house. Since he hadn't alerted anyone to his presence, he hoped he could just sleep through the party.

His pocket began to vibrate and he swore to himself. He lay in his bed contemplating if he should answer it, but then it stopped. He dug it out of his pocket and looked at the screen.

It was a text from Collin. He wondered if everything was alright at the lab. He opened it and immediately regretted doing so.

_Where are you? I thought your flight landed an hour ago._

Edward had texted Collin when his plane landed only because when he opened his phone, Collin had left several texts about when he was arriving and to let him know if things with the CDC went well.

Not even thinking about it, Edward texted him back and said he'd come in the morning to debrief. When Collin said that it was Saturday the next day, Edward texted back when did that ever matter?

The days blended all together. He had no weekends or evenings. Time was seamless and measured by data and phone calls to the CDC.

He just wanted a few minutes to himself. He wondered what Bella was doing. He had not really talked to her while he was in Atlanta. They texted a few times, but that was the extent of it.

Suddenly he was overcome with the need to hear her voice. He picked up his phone again and proceeded to scroll through his contacts. He was about to press the call button when he got another text.

_Man, you didn't go to the lab, did you? Did you forget about your sister's party?_

He let out a short breath and then texted Collin back.

_I'm not at the lab. I didn't forget about the party. I'm just tired. _

He barely sent off the text when he got another one.

_Brother dear, where are you? A little birdy told me that your flight came in an hour ago. I'm hoping you're just being fashionably late._

He groaned and flipped onto his stomach to text Alice back.

_If you love me, you won't make me come to this party. I'm really tired. I'd like to get some sleep._

He sent it off and lay back down. Edward didn't want to be around a bunch of people he couldn't care less about, talking to them about things that didn't matter.

There was only one person who he wanted to talk to. He pulled up Bella's number and pressed the call button. It went straight to voice mail. He didn't bother leaving a message.

He didn't want to talk to her voicemail service. He was tired of not seeing her, not talking to her, not touching her.

It was at that moment that Edward realized that it had been over two months since he saw Bella and nearly a month since he really talked to her. How could that be possible? He thought about her all the time.

He had told her that they would keep in touch and that they would talk no matter what. Yet, he hadn't really made the effort. She had become an after thought when he was done for the day and that realization disturbed him.

Edward was then seized with a grip of panic. He made another realization that Bella probably felt he was ignoring her and that he no longer wanted a relationship which was far from the truth. He wanted it more than anything, but he had let the opportunity slip through his fingers like sand.

He was supposed to be proving to her that he was serious about having a relationship with her and he pretty much abandoned her. She must feel hurt and disappointment.

He sat up on his bed and cradled his head in his hands. In the dark, he contemplated what he would do while the music from the party played. His first impulse was to go see her, but he had doubts. Would she welcome him after all this time? He was so unworthy. This would be the second time where he messed things up. Could anyone have so much tolerance for another person?

Edward searched for his phone on the bed. He wanted to try calling Bella again, but got an alert that he had a text message.

_Dude, where are you? I'm at your sister's party. I really think you should come over. _

He couldn't help letting out a small laugh at Collin's text. Collin would never admit it, but Edward suspected that he had a crush on Alice. It was harmless, but Edward was sure Alice knew and would often use Collin to get Edward to be more social.

_I'm at home. I'm good. I'm just going to catch up on some sleep._

He was about to get up and to go use the bathroom when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and shook his head before he answered it.

"Alice, I'm tired. I'm going to bed." He held the phone away from his ear. The music was much louder at the house.

"Don't you dare. Besides, I laid out some clothes for you, so you wouldn't have to worry about picking them out yourself."

"How thoughtful," he said in a deadpanned tone. He looked behind him, noting that he was sitting on them and had been lying on them earlier.

"Come on, Edward. You've been holed up in Atlanta for the past week and before that at the lab. You do realize it's been weeks since I've seen you and you live next to me."

Leave it to Alice to know exactly what to say to pack on the guilt. He let out a tortured sigh. "Fine. But I'm not staying long."

"I'll see you in a few minutes. Oh, you might also want to shave."

"Alice."

"Maybe even comb your hair."

"Why does it matter?"

"This is a party. You're supposed to look your best."

There wasn't anyone he wanted to impress at that party. "Whatever. I'll be there in a while."

He ended the call before Alice could add any more demands. He leaned over to the lamp on his bedside table and switched it on. Edward stood up to get a better look at what Alice had laid out for him and scoffed. There was no way he was going to put all that on.

Then he caught a whiff of himself and conceded that he should at least change his shirt since the current one had been on for several hours while he was flying. He pulled the black t-shirt over his head and slipped on the charcoal colored button down shirt. He ignored the matching slacks and black jacket and stayed in his dark jeans.

He texted Collin back that he was on his way. He had just shut his front door when he realized that he probably should've checked himself in the mirror, but shrugged and continued up the bricked pathway that lead up to Alice's house.

The music got louder and so did the noises of the party. There were voices carrying through the yard. People were talking and laughing. Normally, Edward would catch on to the mirth and the exchanges going on, but he didn't. He walked past the infinity pool and entered the double French doors. He nodded to people he recognized, but didn't stop to talk. He just wanted to make an appearance and go back to his place to sleep.

He walked into the kitchen and the polished dark granite tops were covered with platters of food. Edward scanned the area, finding Jasper opening a bottle of wine.

After Jasper opened the bottle, he looked up and saw Edward approaching him. He gave his brother-in-law a warm smile. "Hey! Look who's here." He gave him a hug and Edward couldn't help laughing at Jasper's affectionate display.

"Jasper, I live in your backyard." They parted and Edward said, "You act like I'm a long lost relative or something."

"You are. We hardly ever see you. We started thinking that maybe you moved without telling us."

Edward had the decency to look guilty. "Sorry. Work has been-"

Jasper held up his hand. "I know. Collin has been your champion and has been defending you all evening to Alice."

He looked around the kitchen, but didn't see his intern. "Is he still here?"

"Yeah, he's around here somewhere." He passed him a beer. "But first, you've got to meet some people."

Edward took the beer and then groaned at Jasper's words. "I just wanted to make an appearance and go back home. I need to get some sleep in before I go into work tomorrow."

Jasper raised an eyebrow at him. "Tomorrow's Saturday. You don't think it could wait?"

"I've got to debrief Dr. Pruisner on what went down in Atlanta."

Jasper studied him for a moment before he said, "Well, I'd keep my weekend open if I were you."

Edward was about to ask him that he didn't have time for anything else this weekend, but Jasper clasped his shoulder and said, "Come on. You'll like these people."

Jasper led him into the living area. It was spacious and had a few ceiling to floor windows that gave the room an open feeling.

Edward followed Jasper through the throngs of people. Edward was thinking about how quickly he could excuse himself so he could catch some sleep. He decided that he'd forget about seeing Alice and just go once he met Jasper's friends.

Once they got closer, a hearty, booming laughter echoed in the room. It was no small feat considering that the room was full and other people were chatting and having fun. It was contagious and all too familiar.

Wonderfully familiar.

Jasper approached the group. "Look who I found."

Alice's face lit up and she threw her arms around her brother. "About time!"

When Alice pulled away, Rosalie hugged him as well. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Rose." He gave her a warm smile and meant what he said.

Then he was greeted by Angela and Ben and soon Jacob and Carlie.

"I didn't know you'd all be here," Edward's eyes studied each face not finding the one he hoped for.

Angela said, "Alice had been talking about her new house so much that we had to come see it for ourselves."

Jacob chimed in. "We're all here for the weekend."

Edward couldn't keep the smile off his face. He hadn't realized how much he'd been secluding himself until now. His smile widened when he saw his best friend hanging back.

"Emmett?"

His smile was hesitant, but he gave one to Edward none the less. "It's good to see you, man."

They hugged and when they parted, Edward said, "It's really good to see you too."

Emmett threw a heavy arm around Edward's shoulder. "We need to talk."

"Emmett," Rosalie warned.

He held up a hand. "We're just going to catch up. That's all."

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Emmett before relaxing them when she looked at Edward. "Just remember that this is Emmett and you can tell him to mind his own business."

Edward's brow furrowed and he looked at Emmett who grinned. Before Edward could say anything, Emmett's arm around his shoulders tightened and he almost had him in a headlock while he dragged him away from the group.

They stepped out onto the patio in the backyard where there weren't as many people. Emmett withdrew his arm and said, "So, how's it going?"

Edward dragged his fingers through his hair. "It's been crazy. Work has been. . ." He waved his hands in the air. "Keeps me busy."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "So busy you can't call?"

Edward opened his mouth, but was quick to shut it. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "She talk to you about that?"

"She didn't have to."

He let out a short breath. "Is she here?"

Emmett nodded.

Edward felt his heart speed up. He took a deep breath to help regulate it. "Does she want to see me?"

A corner of Emmett's mouth pulled up. "Yeah."

He studied his friend's expression for a minute. "She's pissed, huh?"

Emmett smiled and then said, "Maybe."

He threw his head back and sighed. Then he looked back at Emmett. "I messed things up again, didn't I? I'm such an idiot. I wouldn't blame her if she hated me. I don't deserve her. If she came here to break up with me, I'd understand. She deserves better-"

Emmett held up a hand. His brow was furrowed. "Whoa, wait a minute. I'm not going to claim to know how Bella feels or what she wants, but I'll agree with you on one thing." He gripped Edward's shoulder. "You are an idiot."

"Em." His shoulders slumped and he looked down at his shoes.

"Hey, I'd kick your ass myself if I knew it would knock some sense into you, but Bella would be pissed and Rosalie would turn around and kick my ass right back."

Edward let out a short laugh.

"If it were any other guy, I would, but. . . you're my best friend."

Edward nodded.

"And I'm trusting you with my sister."

"Em, I-"

He held up his hand. "So you better fix this." Emmett shot him a serious look. "And if you end up breaking Bella's heart again, best friend or not, I will break you in half."

Edward could only stare at his friend with his mouth partly open.

Emmett, pleased that his point was made, smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll see you later." And then he walked away, rejoining Rosalie.

It took a minute for Edward to recover and when he did, he gulped down the rest of his beer. After his shock wore off, the realization that Bella was _here_ jolted him out of his place in search for her.

He spotted his friend Collin on the other side of the patio with the other intern Max. Edward was just going to wave at him in acknowledgment, but Collin gestured for him to join them. He really wanted to find Bella, but he also couldn't ignore his friend.

He scanned the yard and didn't see Bella. He figured she must be inside somewhere. He planned just to say hello to his work mates before heading back in the house.

When he got closer, he caught the tail end of the conversation they were having.

"So, you've known Edward since you guys were kids?" Collin asked.

"Yeah, he's my brother's best friend. I used to follow them both everywhere."

Edward's pace quickened at the familiar voice.

"Did you guys get into a lot of trouble back then?"

She laughed her gorgeous laugh which made Edward's heart soar. "All the time. There was this one time when-"

Edward said, "I don't think you should be sharing any embarrassing stories about me with people I work with."

Bella's face lit up. "I wasn't going to share anything too incriminating."

He couldn't help laughing. "You were going to share the hair spray story, huh?"

She laughed, but shook her head. "I was going to tell them about the time you and Emmett tricked me by teaching me the-'I love you'-gesture."

Edward groaned. "Don't."

Bella ignored him and proceeded to tell Collin and Max the story of when she was seven and they were nine, Edward and Emmett taught Bella that if you want to tell someone you loved them, you stuck up your middle finger. Then if you really loved them, you stuck both of them up.

They thought it was really funny until Bella decided to tell her dad that she really loved him.

The Chief did not appreciate getting the bird from his seven year old daughter at all.

For their punishment, Edward and Emmett had to wash dishes for a month. By hand.

Collin and Max looked at Edward with surprise.

Bella gave Edward a sweet smile and then gave him the bird using both hands. "I really love you."

Collin and Max erupted into laughter.

Edward shook his head with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You know, they'll never take me seriously after this."

She lowered her hands, but she still had a smile on her face. "Collin, don't you think Edward takes himself too seriously sometimes?"

"Uh. . ." Collin looked at his boss, whom he revered, and at his boss's girlfriend, whom he was enchanted by, and decided that he did not want to get in the middle of this. "I. . . uh. . . need another beer." He gave Max a pointed a look.

It took a second for Max to catch on. "Oh, me too."

Collin turned to Bella. "It was nice to finally meet you in person."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Same here." She held her hand out to Max. "It was nice meeting you, too."

Max took her hand and nodded. "Nice meeting you, too."

They parted and Edward and Bella were left standing together.

After a moment, Edward said, "I guess I deserved that."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You guess?"

He let out a small laugh. "It was probably kind of stupid to expect you to throw yourself into my arms when you saw me, wasn't it?"

Bella pretended to think about it for a second. "Yeah, it kind of was." Then she started to make her way back to the house.

He followed her, but touched her elbow before she stepped back inside. "Hey."

She turned to look at him and waited for him to continue.

He raked his fingers through his hair a few times before he said, "Bella, I-"

Her expression softened and she placed a hand on his chest. "Tell me about it later."

He nodded, but had a conflicted expression on his face.

Bella took his hand and said, "Let's go back inside. Our friends are waiting." Then she led him through the doorway to their friends.

And just like that, with his hand in hers, Edward felt his world shift back into place.

**Chapter Note:**

I have to give props to Mr. jennlynnfs for the 'I love you' gesture story. It was actually him who taught that gesture to a poor unsuspecting kid. He was ten and the kid was seven.

**Chapter Playlist:**

_**From Edward's Beautiful Playlist (in his office):**_

_Everlong_ by Foo Fighters

_Zero_ by Smashing Pumpkins

_**From Bella's Mr. Dazzling's Playlist (in the garage):**_

_Circles_ by Incubus

_I Miss You_ by Incubus

_Pretty Handsome Awkward_ by The Used (Yes, again. This is Bella's ass kicking theme song.)

_Great Companion_ by Landon Pigg (This actually is Emmett's song not necessarily on Bella's playlist, but definitely used while writing the scene between Bella and Emmett in the garage.)

_**From Alice's House Warming Party:**_

_Crawl_ by Kings of Leon

_Today_ by Smashing Pumpkins

_After Party at Jimmy's_ by Anya Marina (This was way before I knew how annoying she was.)

_You Picked Me_ by A Fine Frenzy

_I Kicked A Boy_ by The Sundays

_The Girl Got Hot_ by Weezer

**Author's Note:**

So, yeah. We're getting near the end. Again, if you skipped the note at the beginning, the last chapter is split in two parts. It's actually +20, 000 words total.

Thank you for not giving up on this story. So many of you reviewed and PM'd me, asking if the story was finished or if I had given up. I was working on having all of this ready to post consecutively so you didn't have to wait so long.

Thank you to those of you who have been rec'ing MBBF. I don't know where you're all coming from or who's been pimping this story, but thank you. I wish I knew. I would totally make out with you right now. ;)

Thank you to the ladies on the MBBF twilighted thread. I love it when people come by and show their love for the story.

Thank you to the ladies on twitter for putting up with all my random tweets about this story.

Thank you to sherylaf, spotzle, and vjgm for pretty much being the best betas. Ever.

**And now to head off any questions about when I'm going to post next:**

Chapter 21 Part 2 "A Long Time" will be posted Friday.

The Epilogue "Every Time" is written, but going through the beta process.

The Outtakes and Edward's outtake will be posted after the Epilogue, but will be posted separately.

**I'd also like to pimp a few stories. (All of these have M ratings.) These own me right now:**

A Rough Start by ItzMegan73 http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5319052/1/

Bad Press by HappyWanderer http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5417343/1/

Edward Wallbanger by feathersmmmm http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5072648/1/

Fourteen by crimsonmarie http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5475912/1/

It Isn't Stalking If You Don't Get Caught by JustForkIt and LittleMissWhitlock http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5270723/1/

Late Night Encounters by kyla713 http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5253229/1/

Living Backwards by ciaobella27 http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5074723/1/


	22. Chapter 21: Part 2 A Long Time

And now for the conclusion. . .

**Chapter Rating: NC-17 for Sexual Content Throughout the Chapter**

**Chapter 21 "A Long Time"**

**Part 2**

From Edward's _Beautiful_ Playlist

_This party is old and uninviting_

_Participants all in black and white_

_You enter in full blown technicolor_

_Nothing is the same after tonight_

_If the world would fall apart_

_In a fiction worthy wind_

_I wouldn't change a thing_

_Now that you're here_

_Yeah, love is a verb here in my room_

_Here in my room, here in my room_

"Here In My Room" by Incubus

Edward took a long tug on his beer while he sat in his house in the dark.

Alone.

Everyone had retired from the party and they were all staying at Alice's house. He was a little relieved that he had this moment to himself to regain his composure.

Bella was a few yards away, sleeping.

Alone.

He didn't know why she was there and he was here.

Oh, right. He had been an ass and had ignored her for the last two months.

His head flopped back on the couch and he closed his eyes. His fingers rubbed the condensation on the neck of the bottle while he contemplated how the evening went.

After he and Bella joined their friends inside, things went well. Edward ended up introducing everyone to Collin. They all wanted to know how things were going with his work. Edward did not usually divulge details about his work because most people weren't interested in all the details. However, Collin was only too happy to explain and point out what was going on and how much Edward had done for cancer research.

For all the interest and curiosity Collin's commentary was bringing, Edward's attention was focused on Bella. Two months was a long time to be separated. His eyes feasted on the subtle changes in her appearance.

Bella's hair was longer and shined in the soft light of the room. She was also showing so much skin. Her dark blue dress was sleeveless and it fell just below her knees. Her lips were shiny and when she smiled, it took every ounce of Edward's willpower not to taste them.

It wasn't until Alice had elbowed him in the side that he realized that he had been ogling Bella and that his expression probably gave away his thoughts.

Edward wanted to touch and taste every part of her which meant that he made it a point not to. Even a casual touch could be fatal. He knew he didn't have the self control to stop himself once he started.

Edward sat up in his spot and ran his fingers through his hair. He needed all the self control he could muster. He didn't think mauling her and acting like a caveman would win her over. Based on her behavior toward him, Bella was friendly, but he could feel her reservation and hesitation. He waited for her to initiate something, anything, but she didn't which set the tone for the rest of the weekend.

He was in the dog house.

Or in the guest house so to speak. He figured it was just as well. He really screwed up. He had a lot to make up for and he would. This weekend, he would show Bella how sorry he was and how much he loved her. Then by the end of it, he hoped that Bella would be willing to give him another chance.

He rested his elbow on his knee and placed his head in his hand. Would he always be screwing up and fixing things? Would he always keep Bella waiting? How many times would she be willing to give him another chance? The answers to those questions sunk to the pit of Edward's stomach. He was despairing he'd never be worthy of Bella when he heard a noise. Edward searched the couch and found the remote for his iPod dock and turned down the music.

When he didn't hear anything, he raised the remote to turn up the music again, but then the distinct sound of knuckles rapping on the door proved he wasn't imagining it.

Edward reached over the armrest and switched on a lamp before he stood up to go answer it. When he opened it, his eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness outside to see that it was Bella standing in front of him.

He didn't realize that he had been staring, when she said, "Did I wake you?"

He blinked a few times before he said, "No." He held up the beer in his hand. "Just having a drink before bed."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Won't that make it difficult to get to work on time tomorrow?"

He was in Bella's presence for a few hours and he already forgot about work. He shrugged. "I'll be fine."

"Okay." She stood there for a minute, waiting for him, and when he didn't say anything, she said, "Well, since you'll be going to bed soon, I guess I should head back to the house." Bella gave him a small smile and then said, "See you later."

His eyes widened. "Wait."

She turned back around and gave him an expectant look.

"You don't have to-You can-" He shook his head and then after half a minute said, "I'd like it if you came in for a little while."

Her smile widened. "Are you sure? I don't want to keep you up since you have work in the morning."

He returned her smile. "I'm sure."

Bella walked in and Edward closed the door. He watched her take in the décor of the living area.

Edward could not be bothered with any of the details of how the house should be decorated, so Alice happily decorated it in the way she saw fit. There was a distinct masculine style to the furnishings and colors. The walls were a warm tan color with white accents on the window sill and crown molding. Dark wood shelves and tables were complemented with soft chocolate brown leather couches. A blue and grey plaid throw blanket was draped over the back of one of the couches. There were also black and white prints of natural scenes and a few reprints of some of Edward's favorite art pieces were hung on the walls.

Bella looked at him. "This is really nice."

"Alice did all of it."

"She managed to make it fit your personality."

He let out a small laugh. "Originally, she wanted to do this French country look and I told her that I'd move back to grad housing if she did."

She laughed.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Would you like a tour?"

Bella shifted in her spot. "Yeah, but. . . I was actually hoping we could talk first."

Edward's expression became serious. "Sure." He gestured toward the large couch.

Bella moved toward it and sat down. Edward sat next to her a few inches away. He placed his beer on the coffee table.

The silence stretched before them. Neither one looked at the other. Edward stared at the bottle on the table and Bella adjusted the hem of her skirt a few times over her knees.

After another moment passed, Bella said, "It sounds like things at work are going well."

Edward looked at her then. "What makes you say that?"

"Collin was talking about all the things you guys have been doing." Her brow furrowed in confusion. "You were standing right there."

He rubbed his hand over his mouth before he said, "Oh, I wasn't listening." He shot her a look before he said, "I was distracted."

She felt a soft warmth spread across the back of her neck. She cleared her throat and continued, "We haven't had the chance to. . . I haven't. . ." She took in a deep breath and then let it out. "I've had some job offers."

Edward's eyebrows lifted. "Oh."

She hesitated before she said, "I've got one in Seattle and then one in New York and the other is in Miami."

He looked at the bottle on the table again. "That's great."

"I also have an interview on Tuesday."

He looked at her. "Where?"

She returned his gaze before she said, "Here. With Jasper's advertising firm."

He tried to keep his excitement in check, but the hopeful expression in his eyes gave him away. "Do you think you might take it if they offer you a job?"

She looked down and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt again. "I don't know. I. . . I kind of like the idea of working in New York."

He felt his heart plummet down to his feet.

She looked at him again, studying his face, not being able to discern what he was feeling. "I've been wanting to talk to you about it because I have to make a decision soon."

He nodded, not being able to say anything.

Bella rambled, "I think it'll be a great opportunity. Wherever I end up. I've always wondered what it would be like to work outside of Seattle. I think I could be good at it."

"I know you would be."

She continued, but in a more subdued manner. "I feel like if I don't try this now, I won't get another chance like this again."

Edward nodded again. His heart was heavy.

She pushed forward. "And things seem to be going so well with your work. . . I. . ."

When she didn't continue, Edward looked at her. She had an expression that he didn't recognize.

But she said, "I really want you to be successful."

He let out a deep breath and nodded. "So, this is what you want?"

It was a moment before she said, "I've been thinking about this for a while."

"Okay."

They sat next to each other for another moment, processing their conversation. Edward was numb. He was losing her again. This time, however, he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stand in the way of her career. She had let him come back and things were going well.

And yet it didn't feel that way.

"Well, I guess I'll let you get to bed. Collin said that you guys were going into the lab early to discuss the data you brought back."

"Yeah."

Bella stood up, unable to sit next to him any longer. She wasn't sure what was going to happen when she sneaked out of the house while everyone went to sleep. She was hoping that she and Edward would talk about their relationship and where it was going, but it seemed that Edward had already decided that things wouldn't work out. She felt her heart rate accelerate and a scream clawing its way out of her throat, but she took a deep breath to steady the way her heart pounded and pushed down the scream.

When she got to the door, she rounded on Edward who had been following her.

"So, that's it?"

He looked at her with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "Are you really okay with me walking out of here like this?"

"What are you talking about?"

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I was hoping that you'd at least. . .I don't know. . . get upset over this."

He tugged at his hair. "I am upset."

"Are you?" She took a step toward him. "Edward, we haven't talked for almost a month. We haven't seen each other for two. I don't know how you feel anymore. I don't know if we're still in a relationship." She swallowed hard before she said, "I don't know if you still want me."

His eyes widened. "Bella, I-"

She held up her hand. "Let me just say this, please."

His mouth shut and he gave her a short nod.

She took in a deep breath and said, "I could kick your ass right now."

He blinked several times. "What?"

She licked her lips. "You said that you'd always want me. You said that if you ever got caught up with work and you became a jerk that I have your permission to kick your ass."

Edward's mouth opened and all that came out was, "I-"

"I didn't think it was possible. That you'd. . . forget about me again."

"Bella, I didn't-"

She shook her head. "I know you were working hard. I respect that, but. . ." She swallowed hard again. "I. . . need to be first. I need _us_ to be put first and if you can't do that, then. . . maybe we shouldn't-"

"Don't." He was in front of her before she could finish her sentence. "Don't say it. Please." He cupped her face in his hands.

She continued, "Last time, I couldn't find you. I couldn't find you to tell you that I need you." She wrapped her hands around his wrists that held her face. "But so help me, I'm not going to just let you leave me again without fighting for us. Because if I have to kick your ass to make you understand, I will." One of her hands found its way onto his chest and rested just above his heart. "I'm not letting you disappear again."

Edward leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. His voice was low. "I don't deserve you."

"What happened, Edward? Why did you-"

"I was trying to make my way back to you."

She pulled away just enough to see his face.

The expression in his eyes was a mixture of regret and apology. "I figured if I made good progress on my work, I'd get a chance to come back to you, but when you're successful, it just means more work."

Bella gave him a small smile.

He continued, "So many times, I was ready to walk out of that lab and get on a plane to see you. I should've."

Bella kissed his chin.

He kissed the side of her mouth. "I wanted to show you that I'd come back. That I wouldn't make the same mistake twice, but. . . it looks like I did."

She tightened her grip on his wrists. "You never lost me."

He pulled away to look at her. "But, I thought. . . you said you were thinking of moving to New York."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm still thinking about it."

He allowed himself to touch his lips onto her temple. "So, you want to keep trying the long distance relationship thing?"

She steadied her breath and tried not to let the feel of his lips distract her. "What I want to try first is sorting us out. I want to take some time and figure out what works best for us before I decide what I want to do."

Edward studied her for a minute before he said, "Alright. If that's what you want."

Her brow pinched. "What do you want?"

He dragged a thumb across her cheek. "You. Always you."

She smiled despite trying to remain focused on what they were talking about. "I'm hoping we can work through some stuff while I'm here."

He nodded, understanding that their relationship needed mending. "You should get back to the house. I'll walk you."

A feeling of disappointment welled up in her, but she was quick to dispel it. "No, you stay here."

Edward looked at her with disbelief. "I'm not letting you walk back alone."

"It's just a few feet away. I walked here by myself."

"And my mother didn't raise me to let a lady walk at night by herself."

"I'll be walking through Alice's backyard."

"I'll feel better, knowing I walked you there myself."

Bella thought for a moment and came up with an idea. "Fine, but you'll have to say goodbye to me here."

Edward had not thought that far. He had to be careful. He didn't want to be too strong with his actions. They were going to work through their issues and he knew he had to be careful. He hesitated before he kissed her forehead. "Okay. Let's go."

He reached for the door knob, but Bella stood in front of him, blocking his way.

"What?" he asked.

"Uh. . . did you just kiss me on the forehead?"

His brow furrowed. "What was wrong with that?"

She had a frustrated look on her face before she was quick to wipe it off. "Fine." Then her expression softened and she said, "It's my turn now."

She approached him slowly and Edward's eyes widened. "Wait, Bella. Maybe you shouldn't-"

She was standing in front of him now, not touching, but close enough so that he could feel the warmth emanate from her body. He stifled a groan.

Before he could say anything, her lips met his. This kiss started off soft and sweet, but when Edward let out a shuddering breath, Bella took his lower lip into her mouth and sucked, letting the tip of her tongue touch his lip.

She repeated the action two more times before she pulled away. Then she looked up at him and said, "Goodnight."

She turned and opened the door to leave.

It was only opened a couple of inches when it was shut closed with a resounding slam.

His voice was low in her ear. "You can't just-That was-" The rest of his words were muffled when his mouth grazed the curve of her neck.

His lips were on _that_ spot which caused all the nerves in her body to come alive which then turned into a steady hum between her thighs.

She was breathless. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

He closed what little space they had between them and he pressed himself against her. "No. It's been months since. . . and then you kiss me like that. . . it's been so long, Bella."

She felt how much the kiss affected him. On her back. And now he was laying slow open mouthed kisses from the spot behind her ear down to her shoulder. Her chest rose and fell with each kiss. "I-I just. . ." Her head fell back on his shoulder when she felt his tongue on her skin. "I've missed you so much."

He turned her around to look at her. His hand was on her hip, but it was sliding upward. Right before it reached its destination, Edward reigned himself in and stopped. His hand gripped her ribcage while he said, "Me too." His lips were soft against hers. "So much."

The kiss was tentative with a bit of shyness. He wasn't sure if he should, but when Bella's fingers wound their way in his hair, Edward's kisses became bolder.

Bella matched his kisses with the same fervor. When the kisses escalated into tongues and teeth colliding, she lifted her leg and hooked it over his hip.

He guided them back to the couch, lifting her, so that she sat on the back of it. In order not to fall back, Bella parted her legs and then wrapped them around Edward's hips.

In between kisses, Bella said, "I-I wasn't sure. I didn't know if you wanted. . . You were so. . ." Her legs tightened around him. "You wouldn't even touch me when you got to the party."

"I thought you were pissed. You. . . flicked me off in front of Collin and Max." Edward reached up and palmed her breast. "I didn't think you wanted. . ." His thumb dragged across her nipple over her dress. "I was afraid of pissing you off even more."

Their actions slowed down and their mouths found other places to lay kisses. Bella's lips found their way on the underside of his jaw. "I was pissed, but once I saw you. . ." She lifted her head to look at him. "I couldn't stay mad. I didn't want to." She reached up to capture his face in her hand. "I don't want to waste our time together being mad. I just want to be with you."

His chest heaved. "Bella, I thought we were going to try and work things out. When you say things like that. . . I want. . ." He kissed her. "I don't think I can keep my hands off of you while we try to figure things out."

She pulled her face away to look at him. Confusion occupied her expression. "Why do you have to keep your hands off me?"

He groaned and rested his forehead on hers. "I thought we were going to talk about this before we decided to do anything. . ." He kissed her again, but this time the tip of his tongue touched her bottom lip. "More."

Bella pulled further away. "Is that what you want to do?"

Edward looked at her for a minute. "I thought that's what _you_ wanted to do."

"I. . ." She felt her face grow warm. She loosened her legs around him.

He was not having any of that and drew her closer to him. "Bella?"

It was a minute before a determined expression overcame Bella's face. "I do want to talk about us, but. . ." Her hands slipped under the hem of his shirt and rested on his lower back. She looked at him and said, "Edward, I didn't come here just to talk."

He looked hopeful. "But. . ." Bella kissed him and he returned it with fervor. "Are you sure?"

Bella took his hand and placed it on her knee. Then she held onto his wrist, urging it to slip under her skirt. He didn't need any more prompting and let his hand glide up the smooth expanse of her thigh and then the expectation of her underwear.

Except it never came.

His hand rounded the curve of her back and down her bare bottom. His voice was low. "Where are your panties, Bella?"

She lined herself up with him. "Back at Alice's."

He breathed a kiss behind her ear. "Were you like this all night?"

She shook her head. "I took them off right before I came over."

His mouth was next to her ear. "I thought you weren't that kind of girl."

Bella willed her eyes open when she felt his fingers brush between her thighs. "It was part of the plan."

"What plan?" He groaned, feeling how ready she was for him.

She lifted her leg over his hip. "To flirt with you."

The corner of his mouth twitched and the familiar words of the night Bella drove him crazy, undoing her dress in front of him. He slid two fingers inside of her. "I would say this is a seduction."

The words were not lost on her. She threw her head back and panted. "Is it working?"

"You know I'd wait for you," he said while he pumped into her and then breathed kisses on her collarbone.

"I. . ." Her mind couldn't hold a thought. She could only feel.

With his other hand, he tugged down on the top of her dress, freeing her breasts. He cupped one and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Edward," she said his name with a low sigh.

He curled his fingers and Bella came apart. He covered his mouth over hers, enjoying how her moans felt on his lips. After a moment, he asked, "Can you stand?"

She could only nod. She lowered her leg from his hip and when she tried to stand on both feet, she felt like her legs were going to give out under her.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Let me help you."

He lowered himself on his knees and then threw one of her legs over his shoulder. Then he lifted her skirt.

"Edward!" Bella squeaked when she felt his tongue on her clit. She threaded her fingers in his hair and lifted his face. "What are you-Are you serious?"

He let out a small laugh. "I don't think you've realized what you've done." He kissed the inside of her thigh. "This has been one of my long standing fantasies about you."

Her brow furrowed.

He looked up with her with a simmering expression. "You're wearing a dress with no underwear. I thought about so many ways I could-" He lowered his face and didn't even bother to finish what he was saying and instead chose to continue what he had started.

Bella was having trouble steadying herself, so she had one hand gripped on the back of the sofa and with the other, Bella threaded her fingers through his hair, guiding where she wanted him. Edward helped her keep her balance by holding the leg over his shoulder in place and the other held onto her hip.

He licked and sucked and Bella moved her hips over him without much thought, her movements guided by what gave her the most pleasure. His hand on her hip moved, and when she felt his fingers slip inside of her again while his mouth was on her most sensitive spot, her hips bucked and she felt herself shatter. Her breathing was unsteady and her face felt flush. The last thing she remembered was that they were talking and now she could barely put two words together.

Edward stood up, a grin on his face. "Bella?"

Her eyes were glazed, but after a second they came into focus and she launched herself into his arms. "I can't believe you've fantasized about that?"

He nodded. His mouth was next to her ear. "I was hoping-"

"Yes." She kissed him, tasting herself on his lips. "Yes."

He laughed in between kisses. "You don't even know-"

"Whatever it is, yes." She kissed him again this time deepening the kiss. The taste of herself on his tongue caused a fire to burn inside of her and she was ready for him again.

He was moving them through the house and mumbling at the same time. "Kitchen's over there." He guided her down a hall with Bella wrapped around his waist. He pointed in the direction toward his left. "Guest room." She ran her tongue down his neck. He groaned, "Bathroom. There." This time he pointed in the general direction toward the right. Then he kicked open a door in front of him and they stumbled toward a bed. When they landed on it, he mumbled into the crook of her neck, "My room."

Bella let out a grunt and pulled his shirt out of the waistband of his pants. Edward unbuttoned it while Bella switched her attention onto the button of his pants.

Once all his clothes were off, Bella moved to lift the hem of her dress over her head, but Edward stilled her hands. "Wait."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Wait? What do you-"

Edward sat back on his headboard and pulled her over to straddle him. "Come here."

She hesitated before she climbed over him. He kissed her and Bella tried to relax. She could feel him pressed against her. She was nervous, but he seemed intent on having her this way, so she ignored her apprehension and trusted Edward.

They kissed with ardent enthusiasm, building momentum with their passion. When Bella started rubbing herself on Edward, he groaned and said, "Lift your hips."

She did as she was told and Edward's hands disappeared under her skirt. One was on her hip, guiding her while the other held himself at her entrance. They both moaned at the contact.

"Bella? Will you. . ."

She lowered herself onto him, taking it slow, letting herself adjust to being filled by him. "Oh, Edward. . ." She had both hands on his chest to help her keep balance.

Edward's breaths were short. His chest would rise and lower with each breath. His head rested on the headboard. "Jesus Christ, Bella." He cupped her face and drew her to him. Then he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "So good."

He moved from her lips down to her neck and then her collarbone. Then he cupped her breast and his tongue flicked out to taste her nipple.

Bella moaned and she couldn't help shuddering which in turn Edward felt.

Edward's groan was muffled by Bella's breast in his mouth. He gripped her hip, moving her above him. Bella let herself be guided, but after a moment Edward let go and she lost the rhythm. She tried to get it back on her own, but then she became frustrated.

Edward pushed away the curtain of hair blocking her face over her shoulder. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"I. . ." She felt her face burn. "I can't. . ."

He saw the color in her cheeks. "I'm sorry. We don't have to. If you want to stop-" He tried to shift her away from his lap.

"No." She squeezed her thighs together, securing her place on his lap. "It's not that. . . I. . ." She took a deep breath and then said in a rush, "I've never been on top before."

It took a second for the words to register and when they did, Edward cupped her face in his hands and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You're doing just fine."

She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm doing. I mean, I tried once and it was awkward and uncomfortable. And now I can't. . . and you have this fantasy." Her voice was low. "I don't want to disappoint you."

He kissed her lips again. "Nothing you do will ever disappoint me." He kissed her shoulder. "Is this really uncomfortable for you?"

"No, not at first." She hesitated before she said, "It felt really good."

He grinned. "That's the point."

She felt her cheeks burn again. "It's never been that way before."

"Then can we try again?" This time when he kissed her, his lips lingered over hers. "I'd really like to."

She nodded, smiling against his lips.

"Well, first of all, this needs to come off." He lifted the hem of her dress and tugged the dress over her and let it fall on the floor.

Bella's arms reacted on instinct and tried to cover her chest, but Edward stilled her hands. "You're not going to deprive me of this." He kissed the top of her breasts.

"But I thought you wanted the dress on me."

"Maybe some other time." He kissed in between her breasts. "I just want you to worry about yourself." He took her hands and placed them on the tops of his shoulders. "You can hold on to me, so you have an easier time moving."

"But I don't know how. . ."

"Move when you're ready." He pressed his mouth on to the base of her neck. "In the meantime, I'll keep myself occupied in other ways." His lips made a trail down her neck toward her breasts.

Bella moaned when she felt his mouth on one nipple and the other was being circled with Edward's finger. She loved the feel of his tongue and hands on her body. A familiar ache between her thighs was felt and she began moving them.

It was a little awkward, but Edward's attention to her body helped to ease off some of the awkwardness.

"You're so beautiful," he said in her ear. He continued encouraging her by saying other sweet things which caused the ache to build into a delightful sensation welling up from between her thighs up to the pit of her stomach.

Bella moaned. "More. Edward, I want more." Then the realization of what she said made her hesitate. What if Edward was giving her everything he had already? She was about to apologize, when Edward shifted and suddenly he was reaching her where she needed him to be.

She cried out a stuttered, "Oh, God." Her breath was uneven. "You were holding back." Her hands gripped his shoulders tighter.

"But it's good?" He felt her unsteady breaths on his face, watching her expression of concentration and determination.

"So good," she let out in a sigh.

"This might help." He gripped her hips. "Lean back. Put your hands on my thighs."

Bella did what she was told. The shift in position not only deepened the contact, but now he was rubbing the spot inside of her with continuous strokes. She blurted out, "Right there." Her hips bucked and she reached even further back and placed her hands on his knees.

Edward's breaths came out in short puffs. He was trying to hold on, wanting Bella to come undone first. He reached down and circled her clit.

Bella's eyes flew open and she looked at him. "You're going to. . . I'm going to-"

He cupped her face. "I love you, Bella."

Her body lit on fire at the words and for a minute the room was white hot. Every nerve in her body converged and imploded. Her voice was hoarse when she realized that she had been chanting Edward's name over and over.

The next thing she knew, Edward was cradling her on his lap. Her head rested on his shoulder. He was kissing the side of her neck while one of his hands glided over her back.

When she got her breathing under control, she said, "Edward? I. . . I don't think I can move."

He let out a small laugh and then squeezed her backside. She yelped and gave him a soft smack on the arm. "Looks like you can still move."

She shifted her hips a couple of times which caused him to groan. "Edward, did you. . ."

"No, not yet."

Bella lifted herself off his chest and looked at him. "It wasn't good?"

He covered his mouth over hers before he said, "Too good. I was trying to hold off. I wanted you to enjoy this."

"Oh, Edward." She returned his kiss. "I think we'll be doing this more often."

He gave her a lopsided smile and then it faded and the expression in his eyes made her skin feel even warmer than it already did. "Edward?"

Before she knew it, he flipped them over and she was on her back. He settled himself between her thighs. "Are you okay?"

She was breathless. "Yes."

He kissed her, snaking his tongue with hers. "Good." Then he lifted her leg and threw it over his shoulder. "Because there's something else I'd like to try."

Bella reached back to hold the headboard. Her back arched which caused them both to groan when Edward moved his hips in a measured rhythm.

She could barely put any thoughts together, but when Edward lifted her hips up, she managed to say, "I think we'll be doing this more often too."

Edward's response was to drive into her harder and cup her breast.

* * * * *

Bella couldn't remember the last time she slept so soundly. The last two months without Edward seemed to be a distant memory. Feeling the warmth of his body next to hers was right. This is what was missing. Her mind was still cloudy with sleep, but the truth was floating there in her subconscious. She wanted to bury it, wanting more time to just revel being back in Edward's arms.

His hand on her hip was gentle, but there was a definite sense of possessiveness in the way he hugged her body to his chest.

Bella didn't know how long they had fallen asleep. One of her eyes cracked open and it was still dark. She closed her eye and decided to go back to sleep. She settled in deeper under the covers.

She had managed to fall asleep, but only for a little while when she felt Edward's lips on her shoulder and his hardness nestled between them. She was about to comment on it when Edward spoke first.

His voice was low. "I know we have some things to work out and you have plans of your own, but. . ." He kissed her shoulder again. "I don't think I can let you go. Not after this." His hand on her hip snaked around her waist. "I'm sorry I can only say these things in the dark while you're asleep, but. . ." He kissed the top of her head. It was a moment before he said, "I'm lost without you, Bella. You're the reason. For everything." He kissed her temple. "I know I'm being selfish, but I'm going to do everything I can to get you to stay here with me. Please don't hate me for it, but I don't want to lose you again."

Bella waited for Edward to continue. Instead his breathing became steady, signaling he had fallen back asleep.

Bella linked her fingers with his and fell back asleep as well.

* * * * *

Edward didn't have much time. Bella was in the shower and he did not want to miss that. He walked up the steps to Alice's back door and let himself in. Bella had told him that her stuff was in the first guest room on the second floor.

He was prepared to creep into the house, hoping not to disturb anyone. It was still early enough that people would still be asleep. He was surprised, however, to find that Bella's things were already by the back door.

He smelled coffee brewing and cursed to himself.

"Did you really think I'd let you slink out of here without having a word?" Alice leaned on the kitchen counter with a coffee cup in one hand and a small smile on her lips.

He sighed, resigning himself to the conversation that was bound to happen. He decided to stay by the door. He had been planning to join Bella in the shower.

"I take it things went well last night?" Alice took a sip of her coffee to hide her smile.

"Very well." He bent down to pick up the luggage.

"Hey, hold on." She took a step toward him. "So does this mean you and Bella. . ."

"We're going to work things out and I'm hoping. . ." He hesitated before he said, "I want her to stay."

"Does she know that?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "She wants to move to New York."

She nodded and took another sip of her coffee. Then she said, "You know, if she had a reason to stay, she'd probably change her mind."

He shrugged.

Alice studied her brother and then said, "Are we even going to see either of you this weekend? Aren't you going to work?"

He let out a small laugh. "No and no."

She laughed and shook her head. "It's a good thing I stocked your fridge then."

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Thanks." Then he picked up Bella's things and opened the back door. He stopped half way out the door and said, "Oh, can you tell everyone. . ."

She waved him off. "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Don't bother the lovebirds."

He gave her a toothy grin. "Thanks." He shut the door.

She shook her head and a few minutes later, Jasper appeared. "What was that?"

"It was Edward, coming to get Bella's stuff."

His eyebrows shot up.

Alice smiled. "Yeah. We're not going to be seeing them at all this weekend."

Jasper laughed. "Why do I get the feeling you knew this was going to happen?"

She gave him a look of feigned innocence. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head. "I didn't get why you wanted the guest house, but it all makes sense now."

Alice took out some eggs and bacon from the fridge. "What?"

"If Bella does end up staying, you'll have your brother and your best friend close, but far enough so that they can have their privacy."

Alice grinned.

Jasper rolled his eyes, but smiled at his wife. "Remind me never to bet against you."

* * * * *

Bella only had one luggage and a carry on. He was a little disheartened that she didn't bring more of her things with her which implied she wasn't going to be staying long. He didn't have any more time to dwell on it because once he got back to the guest house, he heard the water running and it took him every ounce of willpower not to trip over himself getting back to Bella.

He placed her things just outside of the bedroom door and walked toward the master bathroom. He hoped that she hadn't locked the door, but was practically jumping in place that not only did she leave it unlocked, but she left the door wide open.

That was definitely an invitation.

But he didn't want to assume and just barge in there. He knocked on the door and he heard a muffled response from the shower for him to come in.

"I got your stuff," he said while trying not to look inside the shower.

"Was it hard to find?"

"Nope. Alice actually had everything waiting by the door."

"Really?" She laughed.

"What's so funny?" He inched closer to the shower and saw the silhouetted curves of her body through the shower door.

"She bet me that I wouldn't be spending the night at her house."

He smiled, leaning against the wall. He could make out Bella's figure standing under the spray. He licked his lips, wishing he could see the image of the water sliding down her body.

He cleared his throat. "So, what did she win?"

It was quiet for a moment before she said, "To plan. . . my wedding."

His eyebrows shot up. "What would've happened if you had won?"

It was another moment, before she said, "Nothing."

It was quiet again, when they both started at the same time.

"Bella-"

"Edward-"

Bella said, "Go ahead."

He took a step toward the shower door and flattened his palm against it. "I'm glad you came over."

He watched while she lifted her hand and placed it over the glass where his was. "Me too."

It took an incredible amount of willpower not to slide the door open. He lowered his hand and said, "I'll get breakfast ready."

"You're not. . ."

He was at the door when he heard her talk. "What did you say?"

"I thought. . . never mind."

How did things manage to get awkward so fast?

"What is it, Bella?"

She still had her palm flattened against the door. "I thought you were coming in."

Edward turned and walked to the shower door. "I wasn't sure if. . . you'd be okay with that."

She let out a small laugh. "Maybe you should come in and find out."

He didn't need to be told twice.

Edward stripped off his clothes and opened the shower door. What he saw made him hesitate.

Bella shifted in her spot. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head and walked into the shower. Edward reached for Bella's hand that was covering her chest. "You don't have to do that."

Her shoulders relaxed.

His eyes took in the image of Bella under the shower, wet, and looking up at him with a shy look.

He took a step toward her. "Have I ever told you that this is another one of my fantasies?"

She felt her cheeks burn, but she smiled. "In the shower?"

He nodded and took her face into his hands.

She gripped his wrists, looking up at him. The shyness long gone and replaced with a hopeful look. "Me too."

It was all the permission he needed. His mouth swooped down on hers and soon their hands were exploring each others bodies. At first their touches were tentative, reacquainting themselves with how the new texture of the water on skin felt. However, the slickness of the water on their skin soon served as an impetuous for more bold contact. Caresses soon turned into squeezes which gave way to full on groping.

When Bella took hold of Edward's hardened length, he groaned and pinned her against the tiled wall.

She hissed at the cool contact of the tiles on her back, but the feeling was soon contrasted with Edward's warm body. She hooked her leg over his hip which Edward was eager to help her with.

Edward pulled away, but his lips stayed on hers. "We might be here a while."

She smiled. "Okay."

He pressed his lips to hers and then said, "And you might be sore afterward."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I think it'll be worth it."

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Then you better hold on." He slid into her and all coherent conversation was no longer possible.

* * * * *

They sat on the couch with the television on, but not really watching. They were each working on a bowl of cereal. Edward made a mental note to thank his sister again for stocking up the kitchen. After the shower and then on the bed after that, they both did not have the inclination to cook. They threw on some clothes and were now working on their second serving of cereal.

Bella sat on the opposite side of the couch with her legs draped across Edward's lap. She was eating cereal and sparing a glance at the television. Edward's attention was completely focused on the long, bare legs laid out in front of him. He couldn't help smiling at the fact that she still wore his old Forks High football shirt.

"I bet everyone is wondering where we are," Bella said and then raised the spoon to her mouth.

Edward didn't bother looking up. "They know exactly where we are."

Bella felt her face grow warm. "So, shouldn't we. . . make an appearance?"

He looked up at her with a knowing expression. "They're not expecting to see us this weekend."

She couldn't help laughing. "Okay. I can imagine Emmett calling this place the love shack and mildly freaking out that we're totally-" She stopped and felt her face burning now.

He wore a look of mild amusement. "Why are you embarrassed?"

She gave him a look of disbelief. "You don't think it's even a little embarrassing that our friends know what we're up to?"

"Nope." He continued eating.

She rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't we even attempt to be social?"

He shrugged. "I think they're going whale watching. Would you like to go whale watching?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." He gave her a crooked smile and continued eating.

After a moment, Bella asked, "Aren't you supposed to be going to work today?"

He shifted in his spot. "I called Collin to let him know I wasn't coming in."

Bella's brow furrowed. "But I thought you had some important stuff to go over."

"Yeah, but it can wait until Monday."

Bella looked down at her cereal bowl. "I don't want you to neglect work because of me."

"Hey, it's just a couple of days." Edward stroked her calf. "Then you'll be gone again, right?"

Her eyes were fixed on the bits of cereal floating in the cinnamon flecked milk. "About that. . . what if it's more than just a couple of days?"

His fingers stopped tracing circles on the underside of her leg. "I assumed that after your interview on Tuesday that you were leaving."

"Do you. . . What if I stayed longer?"

"How much longer?"

She lifted one shoulder up and then down.

He gave her leg a gentle squeeze which caused her to look up. She licked her lips before she said, "I thought. . . I could stay a while." When Edward continued to stare at her, she was quick to add, "To sort things out."

"And then how much longer after we sort things out?"

She searched his face for an answer. His brow was furrowed and he returned her steady look. "I don't know. Until you get tired of me?"

It was meant as a joke, but Edward said, "I'd never get tired of you."

She gave him a small smile. "You say that now, but what happens when I'm here for a while and I start nagging you to pick up your dirty underwear?"

He gave her a serious look. "Then I'd pick them up."

She raised an eyebrow. "What if I wanted you to keep the toilet seat down?"

"I'll go to the hardware store and find something to chain it down with."

She giggled. "What about laundry? Just because I did Emmett's, doesn't mean I'll do yours."

This time he gave her put out expression, but there was amusement in his eyes. "That's not fair. I'm already picking up my dirty underwear and keeping the toilet seat down. I'd say those things are a pretty big deal."

She bit her lip and then said, "I'll do the laundry, if you do the dishes."

"Fine." Then a corner of his mouth turned up and he said, "So, does this mean you'll be staying. . . for a while?"

Bella nodded and then took a timid bite of her cereal.

It was enough for now. He didn't want to push. It was too soon to ask for forever, wasn't it? For now, he was content with the fact that Bella was sitting next to him on his couch, having a bowl of cereal with Saturday morning cartoons playing in the background.

She caught him staring. "What?"

He schooled his features and decided to tease her. "You know, we might have to retire that shirt. It's pretty old." It was so old that the material was thin and soft which accentuated her curves that much more. He would never want her to stop wearing his shirt.

"It's not that old and it's fine." She tugged at the hem. Back in high school, it used to fall just above her knees. Now, seven years later, it barely came down mid thigh. "Besides, you said you liked me in it."

"I like you out of it better," he mumbled before shoveling some cereal in his mouth.

She gave him a playful nudge with her foot on his thigh. "I have a lot of fond memories with this shirt."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Like what?"

She felt her face grow warm and she sunk down lower in her seat.

Of course, this sparked Edward's curiosity even more. He put his bowl down on the coffee table and turned to face Bella, pinning her legs on his lap. "Tell me."

She squealed when he squeezed her calf. She reached down and put her bowl on the floor. "It doesn't matter."

He shifted and crawled over her, hovering above her. "If it's not a big deal, then you shouldn't have a problem telling me."

She stifled a groan when he pressed his body against hers. "It's kind of embarrassing."

"I won't laugh."

She studied his face and saw that he was being sincere. She huffed and said, "Fine." She shifted and said, "But you have to get off me. I want to sit up."

He was about to protest, but thought better of it. He really wanted to hear what was so important about his shirt. Edward moved away from her. Bella folded her legs underneath herself.

"It really was an accident when I found it in Emmett's wash." She was a bit defensive, but then she relaxed. "I did plan on giving it back to you, but. . . well, you know."

He nodded, pushing away the guilt.

"It was after that time we sat in the meadow together. Do you remember?"

He smiled. "I had such a hard time keeping my hands off of you."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded again. "I don't know how I did it, but I really wanted to. . . so much."

Bella gulped and then remembered she was telling a story. "Well, after that day, I. . . I hoped things would change, but they didn't. I was so. . . heartbroken."

He took her hand. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

She shook her head. "It's alright. I just. . . that night, I found your shirt and I wanted to be close to you so much that I. . . put it on."

He squeezed her hand. "Bella. . ."

She held up her other hand. "Then I had a dream of the meadow and," she felt her face burn hot, "well, things ended up differently in my dream and. . . that was the first time I dreamed about you."

He was breathless. "You dreamed about me?"

She nodded. "After that first night, I wore your shirt to bed every night, hoping I'd dream about the meadow, my dream version of what happened." She shifted in her spot. "But they weren't always of the meadow and," she swallowed hard before she said, "I'd wake up. . . feeling it was all so real and I needed to. . . so I. . ."

Edward's mouth went dry and he waited, eager to hear the rest. But when Bella didn't continue, he said, "What happened, Bella?"

She looked down and fidgeted with the sleeve. "Don't make me say it."

He tapped her hand so she would stop messing with her shirt. "I want to hear it."

She buried her face in her hands.

Edward moved toward her, taking her hands away from her face. "Tell me," he said.

She hesitated before she said, "I'd touch myself, pretending they were your hands." She couldn't look at him. Her voice was low. "Always in the shirt."

When she didn't hear him say anything, she covered her face again. Her voice was muffled when she spoke, "It's really embarrassing and that's why I can't get rid of this shirt. You were my first. . . well, in my dreams you were."

Bella still had her face hidden behind her hands. She was too humiliated to look at him and his silence was further proof that this particular bit of information was perhaps a little too much to share.

She babbled on. "I shouldn't have said anything. That's weird, right? Kind of stalkerish, bordering on psycho-"

"Bella-"

"Can we just forget I said anything? I bet you think I'm crazy-"

"Bella," he took her hands away from her face. "Look at me."

It was a moment before she did and she was confused. She didn't understand the expression on his face. "What's the matter?"

"Just give me a minute." His breathing was uneven and he took in deep breaths. Eventually, he was calm enough to talk. "I. . . I never thought. . ."

She shifted in her spot. "Are you mad?"

He looked at her now with disbelief. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

She shrugged.

"Would you be mad to know that I thought about you too?"

Her expression perked up. "You did?"

He nodded and then took her face in his hands. "But, Bella what you just told me. . ." He ran his thumb across her lower lip. "That is the fucking hottest thing I've ever heard."

She blinked several times and before she could say anything, his mouth covered hers. His kiss was raw, needy and full of desire. He wasn't holding anything back and Bella matched his kiss with the same eagerness.

Words spilled from his mouth between kisses. "God, if I had known-such an idiot-could've happened right there-" He pulled away from her. "Will you tell me what you thought about when you touched yourself?"

She licked his bottom lip. "Maybe." She moved to sit up and Edward moved back. Bella prompted him to sit forward. Once he had moved, she climbed over him so she was straddling him. "I thought it would weird you out."

He gave her a look of disbelief. "Would it weird you out to know that whenever you were within ten feet of me, I got a hard on? I hated going to class like that."

She couldn't help laughing and in a teasing tone she said, "Was _that_ the reason why you kept your distance?"

He laughed. "You'd probably think I was a perv." He palmed her breast.

A low hum of appreciation came from Bella. "Yes, but I still would've liked it."

He placed his other hand on her hip and shifted so that Bella rubbed against him. "What did I tell you about encouraging me like that?"

Bella moved, following Edward's slow pace. "Why would I want to discourage you?" She shifted again and managed to align them in just the right spot which now caused Bella to grind harder against him.

A rumble sounded from his chest and his voice was rough. "You do this to me." He lifted his hips to help her feel how hard he was. "Only you."

Edward threw his head back on the back of the couch, watching Bella move above him. "I take it you're okay with this position now?"

She had been concentrating on the delicious sensation building between her thighs, but Edward's words caused her to falter and her rhythm was thrown off. She felt her face grow warm.

Edward sat up, letting out a low curse. "I'm an idiot. I didn't mean to-"

Bella leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Then she rested her forehead on his, her lips grazing his lips while she spoke. "Any position with you inside me is okay with me."

His lips pressed against hers and he said, "If that's the case, then there are a few others I'd like to try."

She smiled against his lips and then lowered her mouth and breathed a kiss behind his ear. "God, I love you."

His hands had just snuck under her shirt, but at her words, they stopped at her ribcage. "What?"

She breathed another kiss on the same spot. "I love you so much."

He pulled back to look at her, grasping the nape of her neck so that she would look at him too. "Say that again."

Her brow furrowed. "What? I love you?"

A small corner of his mouth turned up.

"What?" she asked.

"I like hearing you say it."

"What are you talking about? I say it all the time."

He shook his head. One of his hands stayed firmly grasped on her ribcage while the other snaked out from under her shirt and cupped her face. "No, you don't."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "I said it a million times today."

He shook his head and he gave her a crooked smile.

"I did!" She thought back to all their conversations since she arrived.

"The little-'I love you'-so much story that you told Collin and Max doesn't count."

She giggled and then said, "I said it after that."

He shook his head.

Bella thought again.

To help her memory out, Edward said, "You've said stuff like, Yes, Edward, Right there, Edward, Don't stop, Edward." He feigned concentration. "Oh, and there was Oh, God, Oh, God, Oh, God, Edward. Then there was, Oh, God, Edward, I'm going to-"

She gave his shoulder a playful push. "That's not all I said."

"Shall I elaborate?"

Bella gave him a more forceful push. "I've told you that I love you."

He shook his head.

Her expression softened. "Well, I definitely feel it."

He smiled. "And you let me know that loud and clear."

"Edward!"

"You kind of walked into that one."

She let out an exasperated huff. "I meant that I feel so much for you. I. . ." She studied his face. "Everything I do. . . I love you, Edward."

A warm expression overtook his face. He placed a small kiss at the corner of her mouth. "I can't help enjoying it when you actually say the words."

In between soft kisses, Bella whispered the words again.

He returned those words with equal fervor. "I love you, too."

Soon, the words were replaced with hums of pleasure. Gentle caresses turned into firm touches. Words were lost, but the sentiment was still there.

After a moment, Edward's actions slowed, and he looked up at Bella, the ends of her hair tickling his cheeks.

Her fingers became tangled in his hair while her eyes traced the angular curve of his jaw. She loved to look at him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, but as soon as she registered the question, he saw a soft pink hue begin to spread on the apples of her cheeks.

When Edward gave her hip a gentle squeeze, Bella smiled and then said, "I'm thinking about you."

He returned her smile and waited for her to continue.

Bella's hand withdrew from his hair and slid down to rest on his chest. "If someone told me that I'd end up here, like this with my brother's best friend, I wouldn't have believed it."

His eyebrows shot up. "Why is it so hard to believe?"

She hesitated, before she said, "That night you came back and you were at the house with Emmett, you remember?"

He nodded.

"Well, I was mentally giving myself a pep talk. In my mind, you were Emmett's friend. Nothing more. I tried to convince myself that things would be fine and that as long as I kept my distance, things would be good." She lowered her eyes and drew random patterns on his shirt with her finger tip. "But, I couldn't. . . The moment I saw you, I felt myself forgetting the pep talk I gave myself. I was so upset that I was giving in so easily. Then you and Emmett picked up like no time had passed and I. . . I was afraid that it'd be like before, crushing on you like I was sixteen again."

She hesitated before she continued, "But, I'm not sixteen and I wasn't crushing on you anymore. So, why is this hard to believe?" She raised her eyes up at him. "I never let myself believe that you'd ever touch me the way you do or look at me like you are doing right now because that would mean. . ." She smiled.

Edward gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. "What?"

She licked her lips before she said, "That you don't see me as Emmett's little sister anymore. That you. . . you want me as much as I want you."

He raised his hand to cup her face. "I know I said this before, but I'll say it again. I haven't seen you as Emmett's little sister in a long time."

Bella laughed. "Oh, really?"

"Not since The Red Bikini Incident."

She laughed again.

He continued, "I don't know if it's possible for you to want me more than I want you."

One of her eyebrows curved while she waited for him to continue.

He gave her a small smile before he said, "Just wait. You'll see."

Her brow furrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He hesitated before he said, "Just give me time. Three years of high school and seven years after that. It's going to take a while for me to show you."

"A while?" She studied his face before she said, "How long are you planning on keeping me here?"

He was caught off guard by the question, but was quick to recover. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "For as long as you'll have me."

Bella couldn't help smiling and after a moment, leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. Edward returned her kiss and they continued to exchange gentle kisses with soft caresses on each other's faces.

This was it. There was no turning back. Only moving forward. This is exactly where she wanted to be and who she wanted to be with. Her life couldn't be any more perfect.

A giggle escaped from Bella's mouth and at Edward's confused look, she laughed.

"What?" he asked.

After a moment, with mirth in her eyes and a teasing smile, Bella said, "Well, it's a good thing I plan to keep you around for a long time."

And with that Edward cupped her face and touched his lips to hers.

**Chapter Note:**

I've had this ending in my mind for the last 2 years! It is *such* a relief to finally share it with you all. I hope you found it satisfactory.

Thank you to sherylaf, spotzle, and vjgm for your beta skills.

**Chapter Playlist:**

_Here In My Room_ by Incubus (from Edward's _Beautiful_ Playlist)

_Can't Stop_ by MoZella

**Author's Note:**

When I started this story, I thought if one person read this, that would be pretty cool. I never thought this story would get rec'd or put on people's favorite's list. I loved telling this story and I'm so grateful you were all willing to read it. It's been a long journey. Thank you for not giving up on me and thank you for giving this story a chance.

I'll be marking this story complete once the Epilogue is posted. Tentatively, the Epilogue will be posted next Friday. The Epilogue will take place 6 months after the ending. Outtakes including My Best Friend's Sister will be posted after the Epilogue.

And I hope you all don't mind, but I'm going to do a bit of shameless pimping. The next project I have in the works is a Valentine's Day inspired story. It's a bit of fluff for the holiday. It's not supposed to be taken seriously at all. At this point, it's 5 chapters, but there will be 6 total. 5 are complete in case you're skittish about starting another story with me. :)

**Summary:** Some women have trouble finding guys, Bella has the opposite problem. When Valentine's Day approaches, her prospective suitors turn up their game, hoping to be her Valentine. Instead, Bella chooses to hang out with her best friend Alice and they both decide to boycott Valentine's Day. A weekend of non-Valentine's Day activities are lined up including no guys allowed. But, surely Alice's brothers, Edward and Emmett, don't count, right?

If you're interested, please put me on Author Alert and keep a look out for **Boycotting Valentine's Day**.

Thank you all for reading!


	23. Epilogue: Every Time

This is for those of you who like your i's dotted and t's crossed. :)

**Chapter Rating: NC-17 for Sexual Content Throughout the Chapter**

**Epilogue "Every Time"**

From Edward's _Beautiful_ Playlist

_Some day somebody's gonna ask you_

_A question _

_That you should say yes to_

_Once in your life_

_Baby, tonight, I've got a question for you_

"Question" by Old 97's

Emmett sat at the kitchen table opposite Rosalie. Swatches and samples of invitations littered the surface. Emmett felt a light dampness building across his forehead. He should've covered Eric's shift. He'd much rather be at the park, cleaning up the litter at the lake than having to sit here under Rosalie's scrutiny. One wrong word, one misstep and she would have his balls in a trophy cup.

"Emmett, did you hear what I said?" She gave him an expectant look.

"You asked me which color I liked?" He cursed to himself. He hadn't meant his voice to waver at the end.

She let out a short sigh. "Well?"

There were strips of ribbons in front of him. They were all orange, but he knew this was a trick. He covered his mouth with his hand and rubbed his chin. He had to choose his words carefully. "Uh. . . they all look. . . great."

"I know. That's why this is so hard." Rosalie looked down at the samples and then picked one up. "I think this one might be too warm. It'll clash with my hair color."

Emmett almost agreed, but held back. This was one of those female tricks. If he agreed, it would somehow turn into him thinking her hair was awful.

Rosalie put the ribbon down and picked up another. "This one is too light. It looks like it's a cross between marmalade and lemon."

He let out a steady breath. Didn't that mean one was orange and the other was yellow?

Rosalie picked up another ribbon. "And this one, is completely all wrong. It's just too bright. I know Alice likes this one, but. . . I don't know." She held the ribbon away from her and said, "It does grow on you though."

He grunted. Too bright? Wasn't orange a bright color? He was in way over his head.

"But, Emmett, I want it to be perfect. I never thought I'd have so much trouble deciding on all the little details." She dropped the ribbons back onto the table. "If this was a car, I'd have everything worked out by now." She lifted her elbow onto the table and rested her forehead on her hand.

Emmett reached over and took her free hand in his. With his other hand, he cupped her face. "I'm sorry, Rose." He looked down at the ribbons and picked through them. "I'm sorry I don't know the difference between tangerine and marmalade. They all look like orange to me." He looked up at her. "I wish I could help you, but I'm sure whatever you decide, it'll be spectacular." He squeezed her hand. "As long as you're there."

She lifted their joined hands and kissed the top of his. "Em, you're right. They're all orange." She let out a small laugh. "I'll tell Alice I like the one she picked."

He smiled. "Are you sure? I mean, we can look at more-"

She held up her hand. "No. I think we've had enough wedding planning for one morning." She gathered the samples and swatches on the table. "We have six months until the wedding. We have plenty of time to figure this kind of stuff out."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

She laughed. "Don't sound too relieved."

"It's not that. I just. . . this really isn't my thing."

She raised a hand and rubbed his face. "I know. And I appreciate that you're trying." She sighed. "Too bad your sister's the same way. She's just as useless."

He laughed. "Hey, we're a package deal."

Rosalie grinned. "And I love you both."

He smiled and after a moment, he said, "I miss her."

Rosalie's heart melted just a little. "I know. You've been very good about it."

He let out a low breath. "She's very happy and after this weekend, I'm sure she'll be even more so."

Rosalie had a knowing smile. "Their trip to Napa? They deserve it. Bella's been traveling a lot and Edward's been busy at the lab."

"Yeah." Then in a low voice, he said, "I just hope Edward doesn't screw up."

Rosalie's brow wrinkled. "Screw up? What? Do you think he'll get called into work?"

"Uh. . . no. Collin is making sure that he doesn't get called."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's awfully nice of him, but I thought Collin was going to Atlanta for Edward over the weekend."

"He is. That's why he's able to take off for the weekend. Edward knows he can't screw it up."

"Screw what up?"

Emmett's eyes widened. "Uh. . . nothing."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Emmett Charles, you tell me what's going on, right now."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Aw, come on, Rose. Just wait until after the weekend is over."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Wait, do you mean. . ." She bounced in her seat. "Is Edward going to-"

Emmett held up his hands. "Rose, come on. I'm not supposed to talk about it. I'm sworn to secrecy. Edward doesn't want anyone to know."

"Okay. Okay." She took a deep breath. "Can I ask questions and you can say yes or no?"

He groaned.

She continued before he could say anything else, "Does he have a ring?"

"Rose."

"Come on. Yes or no?"

His brow furrowed. "Yes."

"Did you see it?"

He hesitated before he said, "Yes."

She patted her palm on the top of the table twice, her eyes wide with excitement. "Is it a big ring?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes."

She pumped her fist in the air once. "Is he proposing in Napa?"

"Rose," he said in a warning tone.

"Please, Em."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes."

She reached over and squeezed his arm. "Will he be proposing indoors?"

He gave her a suspicious look. "No."

She clapped. "Outdoors?"

"Yes." Emmett crossed his arms. "I'm not saying anymore. You'll have to hear the rest after it happens. Edward's going to be pissed at me if he knew I told you this much."

Rosalie gave him a small pout. "Fine." The pout disappeared and was replaced with a grin. "I bet it's going to be romantic."

Emmett's brow frowned. "Are you saying I wasn't romantic when I proposed?"

Rosalie's eyes widened. "Of course you were! I loved the way you proposed. You know I'm going to frame the fortune."

He grinned. When they had gone to visit Alice and Jasper for the house warming party, six months ago, they all went out for dinner one evening in Chinatown. Alice helped picked the restaurant and he had given the waiter the special fortune cookie for Rosalie to get. When she broke the cookie, she didn't even read the fortune.

Alice had asked her what her fortune was and Rosalie had said that she doesn't read them because they were useless. Then Rosalie passed it to Alice and said she could have it.

Emmett was crushed. Sensing his disappointment, Jasper nudged his sister and told her that she should at least read it for the lottery numbers. Rosalie always put in her picks for the lottery and decided it wouldn't hurt to look. She blinked when she read the message.

_You have the opportunity to make a man very happy for the rest of his life. All you have to say is yes._

When she looked up at Emmett, he was giving her a warm look. Then he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a black velvet ring box.

He held it up to her. "Rose-"

She threw her arms around his neck. "Yes! Absolutely yes."

Since then, it was a whirlwind of hammering out the details for the wedding.

Emmett reached across the table and squeezed Rosalie's hand. "You're going to be my wife."

Rosalie's smile lit the room. "And you'll be my husband."

Emmett leaned closer. "I like the sound of that."

Rosalie reached up and threaded her fingers in his hair. She loved looking at Emmett and seeing her future.

* * * * *

"Angela, everything will be fine." Alice sat back in her leather chair and pushed away from her desk. "I know the wedding is a month away, but that's plenty of time to get the dress fixed."

Jasper was going to walk in their home office, but stopped at the doorway at the mention of the word wedding. He was about to turn away when Alice said, "I got to go, Ang. Jasper needs me for something. I'll call you back later." She hung up the phone and let out a long sigh before she rested her head on the desk.

Jasper stood in the doorway, shoulder against the frame. "Maybe you should've become a wedding planner."

Alice groaned. "Between Rosalie picking a color and Angela worrying about the length of her dress, I think I'm going to cut someone."

He let out a small laugh. "Well, if you hadn't had the perfect wedding, they wouldn't be flocking to you."

Alice lifted her head and the corner of her mouth pulled up. "Well, what about you? It seems all the guys are asking you for advice on proposing."

He shook his head. "You were the one that helped Emmett by picking the restaurant. Ben was just nervous and Jake-"

Alice sat up. "Jake is proposing to Carlie?"

He closed his eyes and groaned.

She clapped her hands. "I thought they were going to try living together for a while."

"They are. Jake's just thinking about it. He's no where near proposing."

A small pout formed on her lips.

He gave her a stern look. "Now, Alice. Don't go butting in his business. He was just. . . testing the waters so to speak."

"Well, that's good." She gathered some papers on her desk. "At least Jake's thinking about it. I don't know what's going through Edward's head." She put the papers in an sleek attache case. "Sometimes I get the feeling that he's going to ask Bella right on the spot to marry him and other times it seems he has no idea what to do. I mean, come on." She set the case on her desk. "Once she came here to visit, she practically moved in with him."

"But, she's been working." Jasper followed Alice out of their home office and walked toward the kitchen. "Before you say it, yes the position at my agency is still there if she wants it, but as far as I know, she's happy being an independent consultant."

"Maybe she's being a consultant because she thinks Edward is happy with the way things are."

They were working side by side, getting dinner ready. Jasper was getting ready to chop a head of romaine lettuce, but when he heard Alice's words, he stopped. "Wait, what does that mean? Why would she think that?"

She rolled her eyes and resumed chopping the head of lettuce with vigor. "Maybe because he works all the time and so she thinks she's giving him his space."

"Wait, Alice." He placed a hand on her arm to stop her from murdering the poor lettuce head. "Does Bella not like traveling as a consultant?"

She let out a deep sigh. "It's not that she doesn't like it. I think at first she was really excited about the opportunity. She didn't have to take a position at any one place and they hired her as needed for various projects." She looked up at Jasper. "I think she does enjoy it, but. . ."

He continued, "She wants to settle down?"

She nodded. "I think she wants to take the position at your job exclusively, but she's afraid that Edward. . ." She let out another sigh. "Okay. I know this is going to be some sick girl logic that you won't understand, but she's afraid that if she's around more that he won't take his work seriously and she'd feel guilty about it. So, she figured that even though technically she has been living with Edward because she's not around as much that maybe it's better for him this way. So he won't feel guilty spending time with her when he should be working."

Jasper thought about it for a moment. Then he said, "You're right. That is some sick girl logic, but I think I get it."

Alice smiled.

He said, "But, her logic is seriously flawed."

She frowned at him.

He held up his hands. "I'm just saying, I have a feeling if Bella told Edward that she wanted to take the job at my agency, he would be very happy about it."

"Of course he would be."

"Then?"

Alice gave him a look of disbelief. "You don't think I've tried to tell her that? You have to remember these two have been misunderstanding each other for a very long time. It's going to take a while to break them of this habit."

Jasper couldn't help laughing. "Well, I hope they don't have any misunderstandings this weekend."

Alice smiled. "Napa was a good suggestion. I think it'll be nice for both of them to get away for the weekend. Edward's been cooped up in his lab all week since Bella's been in New York and Florida."

Jasper took the knife from Alice and resumed his attention on chopping the lettuce.

Alice continued, "And good call on the Cottage Grove Inn. I loved the guest cottages and how the vineyard spreads out behind them. It's so romantic."

He gathered the lettuce and threw it in the salad spinner.

"Oh, I hope they're able to get massages. That would be perfect after the week they both had."

Jasper drained the lettuce and then proceeded to get tomatoes and a cucumber out of the fridge.

"You know, that would be a perfect place to propose."

He had been rinsing off the vegetables and then bringing them over to the island to cut, but at the mention of the word propose, Jasper dropped a tomato and it landed on the floor with a soft plop. He scrambled to pick it up.

"I'm surprised you didn't propose when we went that one time," Alice picked up the tomato and looked at Jasper.

They were both crouched on the floor, but Jasper shot up quick. "I was really nervous."

Alice put the tomato back on the counter and looked at Jasper with wide eyes. "Wait, you were going to propose that weekend?"

He looked away and busied himself with the cucumber. "I. . . I was."

"Why didn't you?"

He chopped the cucumber into small pieces. "I wasn't sure if you'd say yes."

Alice's brow wrinkled. "Why would you think that?"

"You're right. That place is beautiful." He stopped chopping and looked at her. "I realized that you probably would've thought I was too caught up in the moment and not really serious about wanting to marry you."

Alice opened her mouth and then closed it. She couldn't deny it. At the time, they had only been dating for three months.

Jasper resumed his attention to making the salad. "Instead, I decided to wait until it felt right. And then I realized that maybe I was moving too fast. I didn't know when was the right time to propose. I always thought when you met the right person, you got to know each other, dated, and things would fall into place."

He finished the fixings for the salad and started making the dressing. "Everything I thought I knew about love was nothing until I met you. I didn't need to get to know you or date for a while or wait for everything to fall into place, I just knew." He measured out the olive oil and then the balsamic vinegar. "But of course, I didn't want to freak you out, so I waited."

Alice stepped to him. Even though she knew the answer, she still wanted to hear him say it. "So, what happened?"

"I kept telling myself to wait until you were ready. Until I got some kind of sign. I'd wait forever for you, but I was starting to get discouraged." He remembered the two weeks they spent apart. "When you told me that you knew we were meant to be together, I was relieved, but still a little hesitant."

She hooked her hand around his arm. "Why?"

"I was still waiting for a sign."

Her brow furrowed and then recognition lit her eyes. "The coffee shop?"

He had a sheepish look on his face. "I know. It's stupid, but-"

"No. I understand." Alice woke up in the middle of the night to find that Jasper was gone. She was worried when she saw his cell phone on his night stand. She figured he'd be back soon since he left it there, but after half an hour and he still hadn't returned, she left to look for him.

She didn't know why she was compelled to do so, but her instincts told her where to find him. It was late at night and she deliberated whether or not he had gone to a bar, a club, or maybe a diner. None of those places seemed right and she decided to stop and get a coffee before she figured out where to go next.

And that's where she found Jasper. He was sitting at a high table in the corner, bent over a newspaper, but she could tell he wasn't really reading it.

"You're right. I wasn't reading it. I was telling myself to go back home before you woke up, but I just needed some time to myself before I did." He cupped her face. "Then the next thing I know, you're standing at my elbow and you say-"

"I found you," she finished.

He smiled. "I was surprised, but then realized that if you could find me without having any idea where I was, then that was a sign if ever there was one."

He took her in his arms like he did that night. He had told her that he wanted her to be his wife and she said yes.

Alice reached up and hooked her arms around his neck. "You know what this means?"

He kissed her lips. "What?"

"You can't ever get away. I'll be able to find you wherever you hide."

He laughed.

"You're laughing now, but you should be scared."

He laughed even harder. Then he said, "Okay. I'm a little scared."

After a few more exchanged kisses, they resumed their attention back to making dinner.

Alice said, "Do you think Edward and Bella will be coming over for dinner?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Alice?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know. It's Bella's first night back. I was hoping to see them before they left for Napa."

He shook his head. "Um. . . yeah. I don't think that's going to happen. Edward doesn't like to share."

She hip checked Jasper. "Well, he's going to have to eventually. When she's officially my sister and working here permanently, I'm going to expect to see her more."

Jasper's hand stilled. "What-How did you-"

She shrugged. "I just know." She looked at Jasper and before he could hide it, she saw the look of relief on his face. "Wait, what was that?"

"What? Nothing." He turned away, but Alice was quick. She jumped in front of him. "Jasper, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing." He turned away again.

Alice followed him to the fridge. "You know something."

"I know a lot of things."

"What do you know about this weekend?"

"What do you mean? Bella and Edward are going to Napa this weekend." He chanced a look at her through some asparagus that he was holding up. "What?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Is something going on this weekend?"

He shrugged.

"Come on."

"What? Why do you think I know something?"

"Because you're acting guilty."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You always look away from who you're talking to when you feel guilty."

"I do not." He tried looking at her, but couldn't.

"If you won't tell me, I'll call Edward myself."

"No!" At Alice's surprised look from his outburst, Jasper cleared his throat. "I mean, you shouldn't bother them. They might be up to. . . who knows what. Let's give them some privacy."

Alice's narrowed eyes began to relax and then when understanding came, she grinned and bounced up and down. "Is Edward going to-"

He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her bouncing. "Alice, don't."

She pouted and then said, "What?"

"He doesn't want anyone to know."

"Why not?"

"Um, maybe because he just wants it to be about him and Bella."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course it is. I can still be excited for them, right?"

"Of course."

She then pretended to be miffed. "How come he told you and not me?"

"Maybe because he wanted a brother-like person to talk to."

"I've always supported them."

"I know, sweetheart, but proposing. . . that's really the guy's thing. We're in charge of that and have to make sure everything is perfect. He just. . ." He raked his fingers through his sandy blonde hair. "He just wanted to. . .get an idea of what it was like. That's all."

She was reluctant to concede his point, but she did. "Alright."

They returned their attention to making dinner. Alice was warming some rolls in the microwave and Jasper was pulling out some steaks to grill.

"You okay with steaks again, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Steak sounds wonderful." She turned to look at him. "I'm sorry we've had it every night this week, but it's the only thing that sounds good right now."

He gave her a warm smile and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't apologize. I'm just glad you got your appetite back." He rubbed his hand on her stomach. "If we have to have steak the entire time, I'll be happy to do it."

She laughed. "We could be having steak for the next seven months!"

He shrugged. "Well, my mom said with me, all she wanted was tamales and with Rosalie it was flan."

She couldn't help laughing again. "My mom said with Edward she wanted root beer and with me it was orange-pineapple juice."

He shook his head. "Tamales and orange-pineapple juice for us." He placed his had on Alice's abdomen with care and looked down. "Steak for you."

Alice placed her hand over Jasper's. "Steak for all of us."

He let out a small laugh. "She's already ruling the house."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How do you know it's a girl? It's only been ten weeks."

A corner of his mouth pulled up. "I just have this feeling."

She mirrored his knowing smile. "I have the same feeling too." Then she groaned. "Ugh. I'm starving. She's going to be demanding. I hope you're ready for this."

His lips spread into a wide grin. "Oh, I think I can handle this."

* * * * *

Edward paced the front of the guest house while talking on his cell phone. "Collin, are you sure about that? What else did Heidi say?"

"Dude, I told you, we got it covered."

Edward rolled his eyes. "I know, but-"

"I know you'd only leave this to someone you trusted and thought was totally bad ass-oh wait, that's me. So, calm down, and let me do my job."

Edward stopped pacing, but with his other hand he fisted his hair. "You're right. I'm sorry. I just. . . I didn't foresee this complication. Do you think I'll have to come in?"

"No, quit worrying. I've got it covered. I'll do the test again. I'm sure it'll be fine." Edward heard some papers rustling before Collin said, "And why are you calling me? Aren't you supposed to be leaving for some romantic weekend or some shit like that?"

Edward chuckled. "Yeah. I'm just. . . I don't want anything to go wrong and. . ." He let out a short breath and cursed to himself. "I'm nervous as hell."

"Why would you. . . wait. . . is this? But. . . oh. . . OH."

"Yeah."

"When is Bella coming in?"

"She's already here."

"Then why the hell are you talking to me?"

"She wanted to freshen up. Apparently some kid on her flight from New York was sick and puked on her. She also wanted to do some laundry."

"That sucks. So. . . are you ready?"

He hesitated, listening to make sure the shower was still running. It was. "Yeah. The room is booked for the weekend and since Jasper put in a good word, they're setting up a candlelit dinner at one of the lookout points in the vineyard."

"Nice."

"It should be."

"It will be." After a moment, Collin's voice took on a teasing tone. "Do you think she'll say yes?"

Edward cursed again. "I hope so."

"What? You're Edward Motherfucking Cullen. Why wouldn't she say yes?"

Edward groaned at Collin's attempt at a pep talk. "Maybe because she doesn't want to be tied down?"

A sigh was heard over the phone. "Are you still worried about that? Come on, she's crazy about you. And I bet she wants to be tied down."

"What the hell, Collin?"

"That's not what I mean." He let out a small laugh. "I mean, if given the chance, she'll want to settle down with you. I'm sure she just needs a reason."

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the wistful look on both of your faces when she has to go. Or maybe-"

"Alright."

"All the texting and skyping you guys do-"

"Okay."

"Or the time when you thought no one was around and you guys got carried away in your office before she had to leave-"

"Shut the hell up, Collin!"

He laughed.

After a moment, Edward said, "Thanks for putting up with me for the past few months. I know I haven't been exactly. . . nice to work with, but. . . I appreciate you helping me out."

It was silent on the other line.

"Collin?"

"I'm a little uncomfortable. I don't handle feelings very well especially from other guys."

"Collin-"

"Just promise me when you're awarded the Nobel Peace Prize some day that you mention me. Chicks dig that."

"No, they don't."

After a moment, Collin said, "Okay. Maybe not the _Victoria's Secret_ supermodels, but they're not my type. They don't wear enough clothes. I was thinking of Olga from the cafeteria."

"You mean the lunch lady?"

"Hey, I like the au natural look. I don't even notice the hair on her upper lip anymore."

Edward rolled his eyes even though Collin couldn't see him. He knew Collin had a crush on the shy, nerdy girl Ann from the education department, but he went along with the joke. "It's because you like her Sloppy Joes."

"She makes them extra sloppy for me."

Edward laughed.

"So, now that you've calmed down a bit, are you going to be okay?" Collin asked.

He smiled. "Yeah, man. Thanks."

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Edward sat on his couch and thought about calling Jasper, but there really wasn't anything more to say. Jasper had been so helpful with getting the reservations, he didn't want to impose on him anymore than he already had especially with Alice expecting. Jasper's attention would be focused on her.

He thought about calling Emmett, but he had already given his blessing and he knew his best friend would just say not to screw up. So, instead he decided to turn on ESPN. Between worrying about proposing and the fact that Bella was in the shower, he needed some kind of distraction.

It had been a week since they last saw each other, but they had sent text messages during the day and in the evening, they chatted online. Still, when Bella came home, he had to keep himself from mauling her. He wondered if it would always be like that. The constant need to have her. However, her disheveled appearance and the hard expression on her face told him that she was not in the mood to be ravaged let alone groped in the shower.

She could be covered in mud and he'd still think she was hot. Mud, was after all, slippery and wet and that would be an erotic combination in Edward's mind. He shook his head to rid himself of the images of a bikini clad Bella covered in mud and tried to keep his focus on the stats the sports commentator rattled off. Statistics always helped him stay focused.

He had been listening to the stats of how many times A-Rod hit for the cycle when his mind wandered to Bella. It couldn't really be helped. It wasn't his fault that at the mention of the word _home run _that his mind made the switch to how many times he got Bella to climax last time they were together.

He shifted in his spot, willing the arousal in his pants to calm down. Bella had a bad flight and it would be obnoxious of him to interrupt her shower so that she could fulfill his needs. When he was able to focus on the highlights of the last game, he heard the shower cut off and a few moments later, he heard Bella moving around their bedroom.

He thought maybe if he turned the sound higher, it would help drown out his thoughts about Bella walking around the bedroom with nothing on except a towel. He rubbed his mouth with his hand. He hadn't told her about the trip to Napa. Bella didn't like surprises, but he hoped that she wouldn't be too upset about it. Alice said to mention that he had signed them up for massages which should entice Bella to go.

But, there couldn't be anything wrong with him helping her get ready? Would there? He could help her with her laundry and then pack. Maybe fix a light meal. He could even also give her a pre-massage. She seemed tense and he was sure a massage would help.

That was the best way he could help her.

He turned off the television and was about to move off the couch when Bella came into the room.

There was so much to take in. Her hair was still soaked and rivulets from the ends dripped down her shoulders. Her skin glistened which meant she had not really dried off. Maybe she would let him help her.

Her chest was heaving and he couldn't help noticing how the bare skin just above her towel shimmered with each breath.

"Edward, I'm talking to you!"

His eyes went up to her face. He hadn't seen the pinch of her brow or the unmistakable look of anger in her expression. His initial reaction was that she was gorgeous, but when he realized that the anger was directed at him, he was confused.

"I'm sorry. What-"

She held up a small velvet black box. "What is this?"

His eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"

With her other hand she held up a shirt with the Berkeley logo on it. "I was looking for something to wear until my laundry was finished." She held up the box again. "This was in the drawer."

He cursed to himself. He still had to pack. Alice kept bugging him to pack all week, but he always procrastinated when it came to packing and now he learned the hard way that he should never procrastinate again.

She tossed the velvet box at him. "What the hell is that?"

His brow furrowed. "Uh. . .It's a ring box."

Her eyes narrowed. "I know that."

"Then why-"

She fisted her hands. "Who is it for?"

"What do you mean?" He looked at her not understanding what she was asking. He also saw tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

She let out a rush of breath. "I know we haven't been spending a lot of time together even though we live together, but. . ." She blinked several times and shook her head.

Edward felt his stomach bottom out. "What? You think-"

Her head did a little shake. She turned around and walked back to the bedroom.

Edward followed her. "Please talk to me."

Bella looked through other drawers, searching for something, anything to wear.

He reached out for her. "Tell me what you're thinking."

She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I'm so confused."

He raised her chin so they were looking at each other. "Bella, this is for you."

Her mouth fell open, but in less than a minute it closed and a thin line replaced it. She shook her head in disbelief.

His fingers raked his hair. "You don't believe me?"

"It's just. . . are you serious?" On her way home, she was lonely and confused about Edward. The possibility that he was ready to propose to her was something that never occurred to her.

He took a deep breath and let it out. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She was uncertain for a minute and then she said, "Where are you going this weekend?"

His brow furrowed. He hesitated before he said, "Napa."

She wasn't expecting him to be so forth coming.

He continued, "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"A surprise?"

"Yeah." He traced the apple of her cheek with his thumb.

Her expression softened. "I thought. . ." She held her head down. "I didn't know what to think."

He couldn't hide his look of disappointment. "Why?"

It was several seconds before Bella responded. "I overheard Collin talking to Heidi over the phone. I guess Collin thought he had me on hold, but he didn't."

"What did you hear them say?"

"Heidi was telling Collin that there was a problem with the data again and that there would have to be more tests. She was saying that he should call you in this weekend." Bella hesitated before she said, "Collin said that you were going to be out of town for personal reasons and that no one was supposed to bother you."

He nodded. "Why would that upset you?"

She was slow to continue, "As far as I know, there aren't any special occasions this weekend. If you're not supposed to be bothered. . . well, that usually means you're with someone." She looked up at him with a guilty expression. "You hadn't mentioned anything to me, so I assumed that. . .maybe you had plans with someone else?"

When Edward didn't say anything, Bella sat on their bed. He paced the length of the room.

She clasped the towel closer to her chest. Her head was in a fog. She had overheard that conversation the day before and agonized over it. She hadn't slept very well and it didn't help that Satan's baby was on the plane and had spewed the contents of his lunch on her. The shower helped her feel a little better, but now that everything was out in the open, she felt a pinprick of pressure building in her left temple.

"I just. . ." Then she sat down on the edge of the bed, adjusting the the towel over her thighs. "Are you happy with the way things are right now?"

He stopped mid-stride and looked at her. "Yes."

She pulled at a loose thread on the towel. "I. . ." She took in a deep breath before she said, "I'm not."

It was not the answer he expected. "I didn't realize that you were unhappy. . . with me."

She looked up at him in surprise. "No, not with you. The situation. I don't like. . ." She waved her hand in the air. "This."

"You don't like living here with me?"

She looked around his room. The walls now had the prints that used to hang in her old room. She was looking at the print of the trees with the football goal posts in the background. "Can we really say we're living together? We're hardly ever here together."

"I know I spend a lot of time at the lab and with your work-"

"I know. My consultant work forces me to be away a lot. The first few months were fun and I enjoyed all the travel."

Edward felt his chest tighten. "But?"

Bella rubbed her bare arm. "I think I'm done consulting."

"But it's only been six months."

"Six months is long time to be away from home." _From you._

"You weren't always away."

"I know we had a few weekends here and there, but. . ." She searched his expression. "Weekends aren't enough anymore."

He licked his lips and sat next to her. "Well, maybe we could get more time off. Instead of just weekends, how about a whole week instead? I'm sure Collin can cover me."

She shook her head. "No, Edward. That's not what I want."

He ran his fingers through his hair before he rested his forehead on his hand. "So, what do you want?"

She hesitated before she said, "I know work is really important to you and I don't want to interfere. I mean, it's why I thought it would be good if I did consulting. I thought it'd give you space to work without me being a burden to you."

He covered his hand over hers. "You're never a burden."

She sighed. "And it was working, but. . ." She took her hand from under his and placed it on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Edward. It's not enough."

Edward braced himself.

It was a moment before Bella said, "I want. . . instead of texting you good morning, I want to be able to flip over in our bed and say it to your face. Instead of wishing I could drop by your work and see if you're free for lunch, I want to be able to just do it. I don't want to curl up with my laptop in a hotel, talking to you before I go to bed." She squeezed his bicep. "I want to just curl up next to you."

Edward looked at her, processing what she was saying.

"I felt like I should probably experience life before I settled down, but. . . I want to experience it with you." A determined expression washed over her face before she said, "I'm not going to consult anymore."

He let out a low breath. "Alright. Which job are you going to stay with?"

She gave him a long stare. Then said, "I'm taking the job at Jasper's agency."

His eyes widened and then when the words registered, Edward's face broke into a wide grin. He scooped her up in his arms. "That's wonderful."

Bella was not expecting this reaction. "You're not. . . You're okay with that?"

He pulled away from her. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

"I thought. . . well, don't you need your space?"

"Space? What are you talking about?"

She shifted away from him. "I thought you liked that I wasn't around that much. That I wasn't such a distraction."

He let out a small laugh. "You're a distraction whether you're across the country or sitting in my office."

His reference to her last visit to his office caused a warmth to spread across her cheeks. She continued, "So, you're okay with the idea of me being around more?"

His brow furrowed. "Why would you think I'd have a problem with you being around more?"

She lifted one shoulder up and then down. "I never got the impression that you wanted me around more."

His eyes widened at the comment. "Bella, I didn't want to stop you from doing what you wanted. You seemed pretty intent on taking that consultant job."

"Only because I didn't want to take you away from work too much."

They sat there staring at each other in disbelief. After a moment, Edward shook his head. "So, for the past six months we've been living together, but not really living together because we were trying to be polite?"

She let out a low laugh. "That sounds about right."

"So, if I had said that I'd be thrilled if you had taken Jasper's offer at his agency, you'd have done it?"

"You wouldn't have thought I was selfish for wanting to take Jasper's offer?"

He moved toward her, closing the inch that separated them. "I would've been grateful that you were going to work here and live with me."

She gave him a small smile. "And I would've been happy to work with Jasper if it meant that I could also be near you."

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips and lifted her legs so they were draped over his lap. "When will you start working at Jasper's?"

She reached up, threaded her fingers through his hair and returned his kiss. "As soon as next week."

He had one hand on her knee which began a journey up her thigh. "Are you sure about this?"

She stifled a moan and managed to say instead, "Are you?"

"Absolutely." He lowered his mouth against hers again and took in her bottom lip. Bella returned the movement and felt Edward's hands at the top of her towel. He had almost loosened it, when she caught his wrist.

"Wait a minute," she said.

A look of disappointment appeared on Edward's face. "What?"

She took the velvet box from his hand and held it up. "You still have to explain this."

He gave her a sheepish look. "I told you what it was for."

"Actually, you told me it was for me. You didn't say for what though."

"Bella, I'm pretty sure you can guess what it's for."

"Are you really going to make me guess?"

He rubbed his forehead. "No, but. . ."

When Edward didn't continue, Bella realized what was happening. "Was this supposed to be part of the weekend getaway you had planned?"

He nodded still not looking at her.

A tidal wave of guilt washed over her. "I'm so sorry." She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm such a stupid cow."

He let out a low laugh. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I really am. First, I doubted our relationship. Then I jumped to conclusions about you having an affair." Her hand dropped and she lowered her head. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to cancel the trip and held off. . . doing this for a while." She placed the box in his hand.

He placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "I don't want to cancel the trip and I definitely don't want to hold off doing this." He put the box back in her hand.

"But, I've ruined your plans." She handed it back to him.

"You didn't ruin anything." He returned the box to her.

She shook her head and pushed the box to him. "You said the proposal is the guy's thing. I'm sure this isn't what you envisioned."

"It's not, but it's not bad." He let out a small laugh. "The only thing that could ruin this is if you say no." He held it out to her.

Bella took it and placed the box on her lap. Then she reached for his hand and entwined their fingers together. She looked at their joined hands and said, "I would say yes." She kissed the side of his face. "Every time."

Edward pulled away to look at her. They sat there, hands joined, looking at each other. Then a small smile pulled at the corner of Edward's mouth.

"Bella?"

She returned his expression. "Yes, Edward?"

He squeezed her hand, smiling. A small laughed escaped when he said, "Will you marry me?"

She returned his smile and laughed. "Yes."

Despite knowing her answer, Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Her laughter this time echoed through the house. "Why are you surprised?"

"I don't know. It's just. . . there's this moment of doubt before it really happens."

"But-" All thoughts left her when he opened the box to show her the ring.

It was a large, but elegant single square cut diamond set in a platinum band.

Edward squeezed her knee. "Do you like it?"

She looked up at him. "Of course I do! It's beautiful."

He took it out of the box, held up her hand, and slid the ring onto her finger. They both looked at the glittering ring on Bella's hand for a second before looking up at each other.

They both wore stunned expressions and after seeing the other's expression, they laughed.

Bella said, "I can't believe this is happening."

Edward kissed the apple of her cheek. "Finally."

"Finally?"

He lowered his face and kissed the crook of her neck. "Mine."

She giggled when he nuzzled the spot below her ear. "I was always yours."

He scattered soft kisses across her shoulder. "Now everyone will know it."

She threaded her fingers through his hair while he made his way down. "Hey, what did I say about being territorial?"

He placed an open mouth kiss between her breasts on her towel. "You're marrying me, so I can be as territorial as much as I want." He parted the towel and was welcomed by Bella's pert nipples.

"You know, I-" She gasped when he covered his mouth over one of them.

He was about to turn his attention to the other one when his phone rang. He ignored it, but Bella said, "Isn't that Alice's ringtone?"

He grunted and pulled his shirt off. Then he proceeded to lay her down on the bed.

Bella reached up to undo his pants. "You should at least text her. She might come over and. . ." She tugged off his boxers.

"Fine." He hopped off the bed and reached into the pockets of his discarded pants on the floor and pulled out his phone. He pulled up Alice's number and was about to type out a message when he felt Bella's mouth on him.

He cursed and said, "Bella, I can't-" He squeezed her shoulder.

She pulled away. "Hurry up then."

He typed out a message.

_Celebrating with fiancee. Don't bother us._

He sent it and then shut it off. Then he tossed the phone away and literally threw Bella back on the bed.

She shrieked and couldn't help giggling.

"That was very naughty, _Mrs. Cullen_." He crawled toward her.

Bella's mouth fell open at sight of her future husband with an expression of unmistakable desire and love. Then to hear him refer to her as Mrs. Cullen caused heat to build up between her thighs.

It was as if he could read her mind. He parted her legs and lowered his face. He placed an open mouth kiss on her hip. "Although it did give me an idea."

"What kind of an idea?" Her voice was unsteady.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. Instead of telling her, he lowered his face and showed her.

Three times to be exact.

They spent the rest of the afternoon tasting, touching, and loving each other. When Edward finally relented, it was only because they had to get ready to leave for their weekend trip to Napa.

But not before Alice saw them leaving and insisted on seeing the ring.

The weekend was an extension of their afternoon. They did manage to venture out once to have dinner at one of the look out points in the vineyard, but only made it half way through the main course when Edward discovered that Bella was not wearing any underwear.

Two weeks later, everyone met at the cabin back in Forks. Angela had said that she wanted everyone to get together before her wedding in two weeks.

It was an intimate affair. After an early dinner, Charlie, Carlisle, and Esme showed up. It was a surprise to everyone except Bella, Edward, Angela and Emmett.

They were all gathered into the solarium. The bright afternoon light was turning into the soft glow of twilight. The water off the lake rippled in green and blue waves.

Emmett explained that even though they were here to spend time with Angela and Ben before their wedding, Angela was gracious enough to allow Bella and Edward to use this time to get married.

There was a stunned silence in the solarium. Angela was beaming and Ben wore a surprised look on his face. Alice and Rosalie looked at Emmett as if he were growing two heads. Carlie and Jacob looked at each other and then laughed. Jasper joined in with their laughter.

Then all of a sudden everyone was talking at once. Emmett held up his hands, but no one would listen. Alice and Rosalie were not happy that they would not get to plan a wedding. Ben was asking Angela if Emmett was serious. Jasper teased Jacob about his turn next, causing Carlie to blush. Charlie shook his head and Carlisle wore a bemused expression at the reactions to everyone in the room.

The voices stopped when Edward entered the solarium. He wore dark slacks and a dark jacket. He had white collared shirt, unbuttoned at the top. As if on cue, Esme appeared at the door to the guest room.

She asked, "Are we ready to begin?"

Emmett smiled and nodded.

"Wait? Is this for real?" Alice asked.

Edward said, "Yes."

Rosalie said, "But. . . aren't you guys going to have a wedding?"

He let out a short sigh. "This is our wedding."

Alice sat up. "But. . ."

Rosalie said, "Are you guys sure?"

Emmett straightened his back so he was at his full height. "This is what Bella wants, so this is what she's going to get."

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at him. "Who's going to marry them?"

Emmett grinned. "Me."

Alice and Rosalie looked at him with disbelief.

Jacob laughed. "That's awesome."

Jasper said, "I concur."

Edward looked at his sister and then at his soon to be brother-in-law's soon to be wife. "Everyone we care about is here." He gave them a hopeful expression. "I just want to make Bella happy and she said this is what she wants and if this how she wants her wedding to be, then this is what we'll do."

His tone was firm and final, but he had a good natured expression.

Rosalie smiled and nodded.

It was Alice that took a minute to recover. Jasper squeezed her hand. Then she let out a sigh. "I just. . .I had no idea she was planning to do this."

Jasper rubbed her lower back. "It's okay, sweetheart. You've been understandably preoccupied."

She let out a small laugh and shook her head. Then she said, "She better not be getting married in a hoodie. I will not allow that."

Everyone laughed.

Then from the other room, Bella called out, "I'm not wearing a hoodie!"

Emmett said, "Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

Esme took her spot next to Carlisle.

A moment passed before Bella appeared in the doorway.

Edward's heart stopped for that moment.

She wore a white off the shoulder dress. It was a simple gown that flowed down to her feet. Her hair was pinned up loosely with a few curls escaping. In her hand was a bouquet of pink tulips.

The only sound was coming from the gentle breeze blowing against the leaves in the trees. Bella looked at her friends. Each were in various states of emotion from shock to disbelief. When she saw tears in Alice and Rosalie's eyes, she began to worry that maybe this was a mistake.

She looked to Emmett and saw that he was looking at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. When she looked at Edward, it was all she needed to move forward. With each step toward him, her smile grew and his expression matched hers. He never took his eyes off her.

Charlie cleared his throat which brought Emmett out of his daze. Although he had been ordained a week ago, Emmett took his role as officiant seriously. He greeted everyone and began to share how even as children, it was apparent that these two were meant for each other even if they weren't aware of it for a long time.

He hesitated before he said, "Even though it took some time for each of them to find their way back to each other, when they did, there could be no doubt about their love for one another." He gave them a warm smile before he said, "Love is patient. Love is kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

He looked around the room at their friends and at their parents. "Today I'm marrying my sister and my best friend. I'm so honored and proud that they would allow me to be a part of this special moment."

Then Emmett proceeded to lead them into their wedding vows that they wrote for each other.

Edward was first. "I, Edward, take you, Bella, to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I don't know yet. I eagerly anticipate the chance to grow together, getting to know the woman you will become, and falling in love a little more every day. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever life may bring us."

Emmett passed the ring to Edward and he proceeded to slide it onto Bella's finger.

Bella began her vows. "I, Bella, take you, Edward, to be my friend, my lover, the father of my children and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity."

Emmett passed the ring to Bella and she slid it onto his Edward's finger.

Emmett then said, "On behalf of the state of Washington, I now pronounce you man and wife." He leaned forward and said, "You can kiss her now."

Edward pulled Bella toward him and covered his mouth over hers. Everyone cheered and clapped.

Emmett said, "It is my pleasure to introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen."

Everyone jumped up to congratulate the happy couple. Alice mildly scolded Bella for not letting her help, but it was good natured and she hugged her new sister. A few more minutes were given to congratulate them when Esme and Carlisle proceeded to politely kick everyone out.

Edward and Bella were surprised, expecting everyone to stay.

Esme looked at them with disbelief. "You really expect everyone to stay here on your wedding night? Carlisle and I reserved the old Meyer Inn over in Piedmont for the rest of us." She winked at them. "If you guys can make it out tomorrow, come over and visit us while we're all there."

Bella blushed, but Edward nodded and said, "We'll see."

Everyone gathered their belongings, making sure to leave before it got too dark. Once everyone was gone and the door was shut, Edward turned to see Bella standing in the hallway with a warm expression.

He picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to the guest room where they made love for the first time. When they did make love, unlike before, their movements were unhurried, gentle, and tender.

When they were done, Bella laid her head on Edward's bare chest. She waited until her breath was steady before she said, "You know, that first time we made love here, I was scared that it was going to be just a physical thing between us."

Edward ran his fingers through her long wavy hair. "Just a physical thing? Would you have been okay with that?"

"No, but I honestly don't think I would've been able to help myself."

He laughed. Then he said, "I wouldn't have let you think that I was using you."

She kissed his chest and in a teasing tone, she said, "I know, but I'm sad to say that I probably would've used you."

He laughed again. "I would've been alright with that."

She let out a sound of disbelief. "No, you wouldn't!"

"Um. . . let's see. . . the woman I've been wanting for the last seven years decides she wants to have her way with me, repeatedly. I'm going to say yes to that." He flipped her on her back, his lips hovering over hers. "Every time." He pressed his mouth to hers.

After recovered from Edward's kiss, she said, "Edward?"

He breathed another kiss on her collarbone. "Yes, Mrs. Cullen."

She giggled and then said, "I. . . Tonight was perfect. Thank you."

He lifted his head. "I should be thanking you."

She shook her head. "I'm glad you didn't think we were rushing or-"

He kissed her.

She continued, "Or that we should've waited to have a-"

He kissed her again.

She couldn't help giggling. "Edward, let me finish-"

He covered her mouth with his. After a moment, he pulled away and said, "If I had my way, we would've been married after I proposed to you."

"Edward, don't be ridiculous."

He straightened his shoulders. "I'm being serious."

She studied his face and saw he was being earnest in his feelings. "You're still ridiculous," she said with a smile.

He gave her a crooked smile. "And you still married me."

She feigned annoyance by groaning. "Don't remind me."

His smile widened. He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her wedding ring. "It would be a great pleasure to remind you."

**THE END**

**Author's Note:**

Special thanks to sherylaf's beta skills for the Epilogue.

I didn't plan on writing an Epilogue because I knew what happened to these characters. Then people started asking about a sequel. There isn't going to be a sequel, but I thought sharing what I know would be a bit of a compromise.

And for those of you who are interested, there are links to the Cottage Grove Inn in Napa, pictures of Bella's wedding dress, the cabin, and the solarium on my profile.

There's also a link for an official song playlist by me for _My Brother's Best Friend_ on my profile too.

I'll be posting the outtakes next week.

Thank you all for reading. I'll miss these characters, but I'll also miss you guys!


	24. MBBF Outtakes

**Outtakes for **_**My Brother's Best Friend**_

These outtakes were actual scenes that were cut from chapters of MBBF. I hadn't planned on posting them, but I made an off hand remark about cutting a scene and a reader had said she would've liked to have read it. So, I saved up what I cut from other chapters and thought it'd be neat to share like a deleted scenes feature on a DVD.

Any mistakes are my own. These scenes are un-beta'd since originally they weren't supposed to be published.

When you read these, keep in mind that this Edward and Bella have their HEA. How I chose to get them there was my decision. So don't come after me with pitchforks!

**Note: Some scenes are rated NC-17 for sexual content.**

**Chapter 6: Transformation**

This is the chapter where Bella asks Edward to the cabin for the weekend. After he agrees, they walk back into the house. He asks about the almost kiss in his room and Bella says it was a kissing accident and that he can google it. That's how it ends.

This is it how it originally went. Don't hate me b/c I cut it. After I wrote it, it just didn't feel right. Edward did not have that much game at this point in the story and it wasn't what I wanted at that point either.

But it was a lot of fun to write.

_Cut Scene from Chapter 6 _

"_Curiosity Kiss"_

"I didn't know there such things as kissing accidents," He said in a teasing tone.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't worry. It won't happen again."

Edward took a step forward. "I wasn't complaining about it."

Suddenly the patio felt tiny with Edward standing right in front of her. She said, "But I wouldn't have called it a kiss."

One of his eyebrows arched. "What would you have called it?"

"I don't know. It's like the equivalent of bumping elbows with someone."

Edward let out a small laugh. "But I think it's a little more than that."

"No, it's not." Bella searched for the door handle in back of her. When she found it, she held on to it. "We could pretend like it never happened."

"Is that what you want?" He tried to hide his disappointment.

"I thought that's what you were trying to tell me."

"I just. . ." He swallowed hard before he said, "Thought that maybe you were a little curious. . ."

Her eyebrows jumped. "Curious about kissing you?"

He felt the top of his ears burn. "Well. . ."

Bella let go of the door knob. "No."

"No? Not even a little?"

"Wouldn't that be weird?"

"You think kissing me is weird?" He asked.

"Well, I just thought you. . . saw me in a sisterly way."

"Bella, we are definitely not brother and sister."

"I know."

They stood in front of the door looking at each other for a minute.

Edward was about to say something when Bella leaned in and kissed him.

She pulled away and stared at him for a few seconds before she started laughing.

"Did you just-" His brow wrinkled. "Why are you laughing?"

"The look on your face was pretty funny." Bella smiled.

"Well, I didn't know you were going to-" He opened his mouth several times and finally said, "I wasn't expecting it."

She laughed.

"So, that's the extent of your curiosity?" He asked.

"Yeah." She lied.

Edward shut his mouth, but she could see his jaw twitching.

"What?" She asked.

He looked at her for a minute before he reached for her face and kissed her. Bella tensed at first, but when she felt his hand on the small of her back, she relaxed. Then his thumb grazed her cheek and he deepened the kiss.

Just when Bella thought her body would betray her and her legs would give way and have her flat on her back, Edward pulled away.

His breathing was labored and in a low voice, he said in her ear, "Thank you for indulging my curiosity."

**Chapter 10: Experience**

This is the chapter where Bella and Edward talk about their previous sexual relationships in the bagel shop. ("I'm a sex addict. It means I like to have sex. A lot.") But before that, they woke up in Edward's bed. Bella's dreaming and he asks her what she was dreaming about and she tells him Cedric Diggory. See what I did there?

Well, in the original scene, Edward tries to coax the truth out of her through unconventional means, but trying to guess what she dreamed about. I cut it because again, I didn't feel Edward would be that bold at this point and I also felt they needed to have their sex talk first.

_Chapter 10 Cut Scene_

"_Not Cedric"_

"Was it about this?" He leaned down and kissed her forehead. He watched her reaction. She seemed surprised, but was quick to erase the expression.

"No," she said.

"How about this?" He kissed the temple of her forehead.

She shook her head.

He leaned down further and kissed the spot right below her ear. She willed herself not to shiver. She barley croaked out, "No."

He shifted and kissed the apple of her cheek.

She shook her head again.

He dragged his lips across her skin and kissed the corner of her mouth.

In an unsteady voice, she said, "Edward."

One of his eyebrows arched softly. "So, you did dream about me?"

Her expression was full of struggle. She closed her eyes for half a minute, deciding on something.

Edward was going to tell her that she didn't have to answer, but instead she said, "Yes."

He was caught off guard by her answer. He hoped it was him, but he didn't dare assume it to be true.

Bella shifted herself so that her face was only inches away from Edward's. She had such an intense look in her eyes and he could not look away. Then her eyes briefly lingered on his lips and back to his eyes.

**Chapter 12: Fuse**

The title Fuse has a double meaning: _to unite or blend into a whole, as if by melting together; a tube, cord, or the like, filled or saturated with combustible matter, for igniting an explosive._ I picked this title because it was so fitting. They finally let their feelings take over, but it was also a preface for the explosion in Chapter 13: Lovely.

This chapter was originally titled _Special_. Originally Bella and Edward are interrupted and have a frank discussion about sex. And that's it. They just talk. They decide to wait and want it to be special.

My beta spotzle figuratively kicked my ass. Eleven chapters of misunderstandings and UST and they just end up talking? We went back and forth about it and I realized that I was hesitant writing about the physical intimacy in their relationship. You see, I was a virgin to writing lemons before I started writing this story and so the idea of writing one made me want to vomit. I wasn't opposed to lemons. I read lemons and I salute authors who can write them well. I just didn't think _I_ could.

spotzle said I had to let them have something. Not necessarily sex, but at that point in the story, they and the readers needed something after all the build up especially if they admitted their attraction at this point.

So, I restarted the chapter. This was a part of the story that was unplanned. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I let myself get into the characters' heads and I set aside my insecurities about writing and let Bella and Edward tell the story. And boy did they.

What you've all read is the revised version of what happened.

This is the original scene and conversation they have.

_Chapter 12 Cut Scene_

"_Special"_

They barely made their way to the bed and tumbled on to it with Edward on top of Bella. Her legs were wrapped around him so tight, it drove Edward into a frenzy. He wanted to know if she would hold on to him as tightly if he was inside of her. They were both just in their underwear and the way things were going, they soon wouldn't be.

Edward came to this realization first and lifted his face away from Bella. She had a confused expression as to why he stopped, and he couldn't help smiling. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Then the realization hit her.

She licked her swollen lips. "Is this really happening?" She was breathless.

Edward's eyes roamed her face. She was electrifying. He was suddenly struck by the desperate way she looked at him. He wanted to fill her completely with himself. He wanted her to moan his name right before she became undone. He wanted to make her feel beautiful and special.

Special.

He breathed a kiss on her lips. He couldn't believe what he was about to tell her, but Edward knew that if he really wanted Bella to enjoy this, they would have to wait until it truly felt like they were the only two people in the world.

Bella looked up at Edward, trying to read his expression. The way his eyes dragged over her face and then down her half naked body intensified the fire burning inside her.

She had asked him if this was really happening and the wait to hear his answer was agonizing.

They spent a moment looking at each other as if for the first time they realized what had just happened. Neither of them had ever been carried away by such passionate feelings before. It was both thrilling and terrifying to be swept away, being ruled only by instincts.

Edward's voice was rough. "Bella-"

Before he even got to finish what he was going to say, there was a noise in the living room. They both became very still while they listened, trying to decipher what it was.

It was footsteps padding through the house and finally stopping in the kitchen. They could hear someone rummaging through the cupboards and then the refrigerator door being opened and then shut.

A few minutes later, another set of foot steps was heard padding through the house and joining the other person in the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"I was having such weird dreams. Stupid jet lag."

Edward pushed himself off Bella. In a low voice, he said, "It's Jasper and Alice."

They scrambled off the bed. Bella looking for her shirt and Edward for his pajama bottoms. It was dark, so it took them a moment to find their clothes.

Bella whispered, "Where's the comforter?"

It took a second for them to remember they had left it out in the solarium.

Bella's voice was tense. "What are we going to do?"

"They'll probably go back upstairs soon."

"But, what if they don't? What if they go into the solarium to talk? When they see my comforter out there, they're going to try and return it."

Edward ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll go and get it."

"But they might hear you."

"I'll be quick." He walked over to the door that lead to the solarium and opened it slowly.

The comforter was dropped unceremoniously just a couple of feet away. He listened for a moment, making sure that he didn't hear Jasper and Alice approaching. When he didn't hear them, he took two steps toward the blanket. Right when he bent down to pick it up, he heard the door of the solarium through the living room being opened. He snatched the blanket and with great stealth he returned to the guest room, closing shut the door without a sound.

He took a deep breath and walked back to the bed to join Bella with the comforter over his arm.

They took a minute to spread the comforter back on the bed and then they sat side by side in the dark.

"So, Alice and Jasper are in the solarium now?" she asked.

"It seems like it."

They listened for their voices. They couldn't hear anything.

"How long do you think they'll be out there?" she asked.

"I don't know." He took her hand and squeezed.

Bella rested her head on his shoulder.

After a moment, he said, "We've had some. . . unexpected things happen tonight."

She let out a soft laugh. "You can say that again."

He hesitated before he said, "It was unexpected, but not. . . unpleasant." There was uncertainty in his voice.

She lifted her head and searched for his face in the dark. "Definitely not unpleasant."

He searched for her face, reaching up and caressing it with his fingers. "Did you ever think that it could be like this between us?"

She shook her head gently. "It's like throwing yourself in a fire."

He placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Except I like how it burns."

She smiled against his lips. "I didn't know you were such a masochist."

He returned her smile and then kissed her again. It was supposed to be a gentle kiss, but Bella changed the tone of the kiss by touching his lips with the tip of her tongue again.

Edward lowered her onto the bed and pressed the top half of his body onto hers and deepened the kiss. Bella's fingers became tangled in his hair and the kiss became more ardent.

Edward's hand that had been on her hip, quite deliberately glided under her shirt and cupped her breast. Bella moaned against his mouth.

He pulled himself away suddenly, leaving Bella confused.

She propped herself on her elbows. "What-Why did you stop?"

He was sitting up on the bed with his head in his hands. "Because if I don't, I won't be able to again."

She sat up and placed a hand on his arm. Then she lowered her mouth onto his shoulder and kissed it. "But. . . what if I don't want you to stop?"

He groaned. "Bella, please be careful of what you say."

She withdrew her hand from his arm and shifted in her spot. "I don't understand. Are you. . ." A realization hit her. "You don't want me."

He turned to her and took her face in both of his hands. "Never doubt that I want you." He seared his mouth with his lips and then he pulled away just enough to talk, but close enough so that his lips were still on hers. "I'm almost selfish enough to take you right now, but. . ." He pulled away from her and searched for her eyes. "I want the first time we make love to be special."

Bella blinked several times. "But-"

Edward continued, "You said that when you make love with a person, you wanted to feel like you and the other person are the only two people in the world at that moment."

Bella's head dipped down, but Edward raised it back up with both of his hands.

He ran a thumb across her cheek. "I want that too. I don't want Alice, Jasper, or Emmett and Rosalie a part of this."

She reached up and took one of his hands and pulled it away. Then she pressed her lips against his palm. "I can't believe you're going to throw my words back in my face."

He couldn't help laughing at her petulant tone. He kissed the apple of her cheek. "Trust me, Bella. It's probably best if we were alone the first time at least."

She had a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

He bent to kiss her and she felt a smile on his lips. After a moment, he said, "Because you're going to be really. . . vocal."

He leaned down to kiss her again, but Bella pushed him away. "I'm not like that."

Even though she probably could not see him, he raised an eyebrow at her. "There's nothing wrong with. . . expressing how it feels."

She let out a snort. "I think some women exaggerate. I mean, it can be nice, but it's not exactly cause for ear splitting screams."

Edward reached back and turned on the table lamp.

Bella was startled by the light. "What are you doing?"

He gave her a serious look. "Bella, have you ever. . . had an orgasm?"

She felt her face turn red. "Of course, I have!"

"A real one?"

She smacked him on the arm. "Yes."

He gave her a doubtful look.

"What?"

He looked at her for a moment. "Sex doesn't have to be about ear splitting screams or anything to that extreme, but. . . if things are going really, really well, you get lost in the moment and you let yourself go."

She looked at her hands in her lap. "But. . . what do you mean by losing yourself?"

He looked at her with surprise. "Well, you said it yourself. You should only feel like you're the only two people in the world. When that happens, all you think about is how the other person is making you feel." He brushed her hair off her shoulder. "Sometimes you also think about what you can do to the other person to make them feel the same way."

Bella was taking in Edward's words. She'd never thought about sex like this before.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"You've really given this a lot of thought."

He chuckled. "Well, let's just say I've learned from experience."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not going to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because. . ." He gave her a small smile. "It sounds like the person you were with for the first time. . . maybe wasn't as thoughtful?"

She balked at the comment. "He was very thoughtful."

He gave her a doubtful look again.

"We may not have had wall thumping, obnoxious sex, but it was still nice."

"Nice?" His tone was almost disdainful.

Bella straightened her shoulders. "Yes, nice. What's wrong with nice sex?"

He held up his hands. "Nothing. It's just. . ." He looked at her for a moment and said, "Haven't you ever wanted wall thumping, obnoxious sex?"

She grabbed a pillow from behind her and hugged it to herself. "I can't believe we're talking about this."

He tried to take the pillow away from her, but she grasped onto it. "What's wrong with talking about sex? You were more than willing a few minutes ago to actually do it, but why are you having such a hard time talking about it?"

"That's different. I just. . . what needs to be discussed? I mean, it's pretty straight forward, isn't it?"

Edward opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Then a second later, he said, "So, if we had had sex tonight, that would've been it for you?"

She looked at him with a surprised look. "What do you mean?"

"Bella." He turned to face her. "I don't like being used."

"What?!" Her voice was livid.

Edward's tone was serious. "What is going to happen between us, is going to be more than just sex. I want to know what you're feeling. I want to know what you like and don't like. I want to know what you want me to do to you. The only way that this will happen is if you're willing to talk to me about it."

Bella blinked several times and swallowed hard.

His expression softened. "I want. . . you to enjoy making love with me, so you'll want to make love again and again."

Bella felt like she had been tackled and the air was knocked out of her.

Edward got up. "I'm going to see if Alice and Jasper are still awake." He left before Bella could say anything. He went through the door that lead to the living room.

He was back half a minute later. When he entered the room, he left the door ajar. "It looks like they went upstairs to bed." He leaned over the bed and kissed Bella on the forehead. "Night."

Bella wrestled out of her daze just before Edward made it out the door. "Wait, you're leaving?"

He turned to face her. "I think it would be best."

She climbed off the bed and stood in front of Edward. "You're probably right, but. . ." She shifted in her spot before she said, "I still don't want you to go."

He had his hand on the door knob, contemplating his next words. A second later, he said, "But, Bella. . . I don't know if. . . if we start something again, I don't know if I'd be able to stop myself next time."

She held up her hands. "I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

He shut the door and said in a teasing manner, "And your mouth."

Her mouth dropped.

Edward gave her a small smile. "What? You fight dirty."

She recovered and let out a small laugh. "Fine."

She climbed back on to the bed and Edward followed, turning the light off. They pulled down the covers and laid side by side.

"Night, Edward." She flipped on her side, facing away from him.

After a moment, he shifted on his side facing Bella's back. "Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to be so far away."

She turned half way toward him. "I thought we were trying to be good."

He chuckled. "Well, I might as well go back to my room then."

She turned all the way around and faced him. "I don't know what you want."

He smiled at her in the dark. "I want you of course, but right now I'll settle for just being near you." His hand found her hand and he tugged it, bringing her closer to him.

Bella slid closer to Edward, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her and she hesitated before she wrapped her arm around him too.

Bella hesitated again before she said, "Would it be pushing it if I asked for a kiss goodnight?"

Edward let out an exasperated sigh.

"Okay. Sorry." After a moment, Bella felt his lips press down on the top of her head. She smiled and buried her face in his chest.

It took several minutes for them to fall asleep.

**Chapter 17: Dexter**

This was my favorite chapter. This is the bachelorette and bachelor parties chapter. Oh, and there's the business of Mr. Dazzling claiming Bella's laboratory.

In order to keep the focus on Bella and Edward, I kept the details to the parties down to a minimum. This was a scene from the guys' evening. It was cut b/c it wasn't necessary to the plot. (There aren't any scenes from the girls' evening b/c at that point, I wised up and was chomping at the bit to get to the Dexter scene.)

In this scene the guys are out to dinner and Edward decides to have a bit of fun at Emmett, Ben, and Jacob's expense.

_Chapter 17 Cut Scene_

"_Steak Dinner"_

Edward had made the bet more interesting by saying that he'd add an extra fifty dollars to the winner if they not only finished the steak, but also finish the food served and their drinks too. Ben wanted in on the bet too which was fine with the others. Jasper, however, guessed where this was going and instead went along with Edward's plans.

Being the guest of honor, Jasper had no reservations about what to order. First he ordered a round of drinks. Edward had told the server to make sure to keep the drinks coming. No one thought much of it except Jasper who made a mental note to try and make his drink last for as long as possible. Then as the guest of honor, Jasper ordered appetizers consisting of oysters on a half shell, Dungeness crab claws, Alaskan scallops, Maine lobster, and Calamari.

Ben, Jacob, and Emmett dove into the appetizers. Jasper and Edward stifled their laughter and ate just enough to not raise any suspicions in the others. Jasper became a little concerned that they all practically inhaled the appetizers, but Edward continued to have an amused expression on his face.

After the appetizers, the salad and soup starters were served. Edward noticed Ben start to slow down, but he hid his smile behind his hand. At this point, the server returned with more drinks. Jacob blinked, but shrugged as he slurped down his clam chowder. Emmett was of course oblivious to everything and continued to eat and drink with no hesitation.

The main course is what caused a real challenge for them. When the steaks were placed in front of them, Ben looked like he was about to pass out, Jacob took in a deep breath, and Emmett rubbed his hands together.

Edward tried to keep the amusement out of his voice. "You guys have done really well so far with the bet. You've ate all the food that's been served and finished all the drinks so far."

Jasper said, "Edward might have to pay up to all three of you."

This had the desired effect and they tucked into their meal with renewed vigor. However, halfway through the meal, Ben called it quits. Emmett told him that he couldn't give up and Jacob said, "If I eat anymore food, I think I'm going to be sick."

Jacob hesitated, but continued eating. He was really close to his limit, but he at this point, he was determined to finish if not for his pride. He knew Emmett would be the real competition, but he had no idea that Emmett could really put it away.

It turned out that Emmett and Jacob finished their dinners. Jacob looked like he was going to pass out and Emmett sat in silence, staring at his empty plate.

Ben said, "I can't believe you guys ate all of that food."

Jacob lifted one shoulder up and then down. "It wasn't a big deal."

Emmett said, "It was really good."

Ben looked at Edward. "I guess this means you owe them both."

Jasper said, "What about dessert?"

Edward gave him a small smile. "What did you have in mind?"

Jasper waved over the server. "May we have the nine layer chocolate cake and four glasses of your best port?"

The server nodded and disappeared.

Emmett said, "The bet didn't include dessert."

Jasper said, "If I remember correctly, the bet was to eat all the food and drink served."

Emmett's eyes narrowed at Jasper and then they turned to Edward. "Were you two in on this?"

Edward held up his hands. "No."

Jacob said, "So we ate all that food for nothing?"

Edward said, "What are you talking about? At this point, it looks like I'll have to pay both of you fifty bucks." Then one of his eyebrows arched. "Unless of course you both can't make it through dessert and the port."

Emmett cursed. "So this was your plan all along? To see who would gorge themselves on all this food til they got sick?"

Edward stifled a laugh. "I think you would've eaten all that food whether or not if we had the bet going."

Emmett opened his mouth as if to contradict him, but realized it was probably true.

Jacob said, "Hey, I'm still expecting that fifty bucks." He held up his plate to show that it was empty.

Emmett said, "You still have to finish your port!"

Jacob glowered at Emmett before he picked up his glass and sipped it. He made a face before he put his glass down. "How do you drink this stuff?"

Jasper said, "Port was usually served after dinner. The women retired to the drawing room and the men stayed behind to talk and drink port."

They all stared at him for a minute before Edward let out a small laugh and said, "Sorry, Jasper. We're not familiar with your southern gentlemanly ways."

Jacob scrunched his nose. "I don't know if fifty bucks is enough to finish this stuff." He put his glass down.

Emmett had polished off his cake a while ago and was nursing his port. "I'll bet you another fifty to see who can down it first."

Jacob looked at Emmett and then back at his glass.

Edward said, "You guys. We're not in high school anymore."

**Chapter 21 Part 2: A Long Time**

My betas thought the last part of the last chapter had too much sex. I know. Can there really be too much sex? Apparently.

So this scene originally was after Edward's confession when he thought Bella was asleep and right before Edward goes to Alice's to get Bella's stuff. She has a dream about Edward. Her subconscious was trying to tell her that she hadn't said I love you. Just as she was about to figure out what was happening, Edward wakes her up unexpectedly.

This outtake is rated NC-17.

_Chapter 21 Part 2: A Long Time Cut Scene_

"_Subliminal Messages in Aisle Three"_

Bella was in the middle of a dream where she was walking down a long aisle. She looked up and saw a sign with the number three. Aisle three. At the end of the aisle was Edward, wearing a pair of boxers with a picture of Dexter. Every time she took a step, the aisle seemed to get longer. She was starting to get frustrated, but then Edward started walking toward her. The aisle didn't seem so long and before she knew it, he was standing in front of her.

Then she was distracted. Edward gave her an expectant look and she was ready to jump right in the middle of the aisle, but she had a nagging feeling somewhere in her mind. Edward's lips were moving, but no words were coming out. After several seconds, she realized what he was saying and was going to return the words, but the pit of her stomach tightened in anticipation.

She realized it was between her thighs. The sensation was building and she looked up to see Edward wearing a grin.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt soft pressure on her clit. It was still dark and she didn't know where she was and what was going on. She looked down to see Edward's head nestled between her thighs.

Her voice was hoarse. "Edward?"

Seeing that she was awake, his efforts were in earnest now. Her hips lifted off the bed to meet his mouth. She moaned his name and laced her fingers through his hair. He hummed in approval which Bella appreciated. His tongue was so skillful and it wasn't very long when Bella came undone.

Three times.

Bella was breathless when Edward fell beside her. "I've never been woken up that way." She could feel the smile on his lips when he kissed her shoulder.

"I waited for you to wake up, but I couldn't wait anymore."

Bella turned on her side and gripped his hard length. He hissed at the contact.

She said, "Is that something we'll be doing more often too?"

He groaned, but for entirely different reasons. Bella's hands were so soft and even though it had been months since she last touched him, she remembered how he liked to be touched.

She licked his bottom lip, loving her taste on him. She gave him a few more pumps before she threw her leg over his hip and guided the tip of him toward her entrance. He placed a hand on her hip, steadying her before he slid himself inside of her.

She hummed her approval and whispered against his lips. "I could get used to this."

"Good." He took her lower lip into his mouth and then deepened the kiss.

Their lovemaking was slow and unhurried and when they both had their release, they fell asleep facing each other, legs tangled and arms wrapped around each other.

**Epilogue: Every Time**

The version that was posted was the sweet ending. I thought it would be nice to end the story that way. However, the original end to the epilogue went on for a few more paragraphs. So, if you'd like to keep the sweet ending in mind skip this, but if you'd like a bit of lemonade, by all means keep reading.

This scene is rated NC-17.

_Epilogue: Every Time Trimmed Scene_

"_Now, Mrs. Cullen. Pay attention."_

He covered her mouth with his. After a moment, he pulled away and said, "If I had my way, we would've been married after I proposed to you."

"Edward, don't be ridiculous."

He straightened his shoulders. "I'm being serious."

She studied his face and saw he was being earnest in his feelings. "You're still ridiculous," she said with a smile.

He gave her a crooked smile. "And you still married me."

She feigned annoyance by groaning. "Don't remind me."

His smile widened. He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her wedding ring. "It would be a great pleasure to remind you."

Before Bella could respond, Edward flipped them so that Bella was straddling his lap. He looked up at her and then reached up and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Now, Mrs. Cullen. Pay attention. If I remember correctly, the last time we did this, you enjoyed yourself tremendously."

Bella moved herself over his hardened length. "Hmm. . . It's a good thing that you're so patient and willing to go over this again, but I'm afraid you'll get tired of having to remind me all the time."

Edward moved his hips so that the tip of him rubbed against her most sensitive spot. "So very willing."

Bella was about to say that she was grateful that he was so willing, but all coherent thought was lost when he slid inside of her and her hips took over from there.

**THE END**

Thank you for reading!

Up Next: _My Best friend's Sister_ outtake


	25. MBFS Outtake

**My Best Friend's Sister Outtake**

I promise this is the last of the MBBF material and I won't bug you guys anymore. I have to admit, I'm a little sad posting this. Not only b/c this is all that's left, but I've been holding onto this as kind of like a piece of my own MBBFward. I would add onto this whenever I was in a slump and needed to get back into writing MBBF. MBBF is told as Bella's story. It was a nice break from time to time to write something as Edward.

This out take takes us full circle from the beginning. If you don't remember (b/c it was so long ago) the story begins with Bella jogging and _Twilight Time_ by The Platters comes on her iPod. Her thoughts immediately go to the time she spent with Edward in the meadow. It was their last time together before he went off to college. The chapter opens with her anticipating his arrival and she tells herself she can handle it, but as you all aware, it doesn't go as she expects it.

This is the actual scene from the meadow, but it's through Edward's first person point of view. I don't normally do first person POV's, but this was supposed to be just an exercise for fun.

**To head off any questions, this is an outtake. This not a continuation and there will be no sequels. This is just a short piece to show what was going through Edward's head when they were back in high school.**

Anyway, thank you all again for reading. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**EPOV**

I don't know how I got myself into this. I didn't plan it and it seemed the more I resisted, the more I was thrown into Bella's company. Maybe it was fate telling me that I had to stop avoiding her.

Or maybe it was my sister Alice who managed to keep putting me in Bella's company.

I tried to ignore the sound of her ragged breathing and the snaps of dried leaves crunching under foot. I could tell that Bella was struggling not to fall behind, but her careful steps impeded her progress.

I was doing well, keeping my distance, avoiding her. But these last two weekends were like bittersweet torture.

It was easier avoiding her at school. There were other people around and I could find refuge in the library if I needed. It was cowardly. I know, but it was the only way.

It was becoming increasingly more difficult to hide my feelings for Bella.

Especially after last weekend at the movies. It was supposed to be just me and Emmett. I was glad to be getting out of the house. I had managed to avoid Bella for the whole week and I was quite proud of myself, but when I was alone in my room, she invaded my thoughts and the wanting would resurface. I found myself hoping she'd visit Alice just so I could have her near me.

So Emmett and I made plans for the movies and before I knew it, Alice had invited herself along which of course meant Bella was coming too. I should've run away, but I was too excited at the possibility of spending time with Bella, however, fleeting it would be.

That in itself should've been a warning. I was way too eager to see her and I even entertained ideas of talking to her, but when the fantasy of talking to her turned into lips touching and Bella breathing my name against my mouth, I sobered up and was determined to just go to the movies.

I was such an idiot.

When Alice and I arrived at Emmett and Bella's house, Alice shot up the stairs so fast, I had no idea what came over her. One minute, we're talking about the action movie we were going to see and then once we entered the house, Alice was gone. Emmett asked what was going on and I shrugged.

It was another twenty minutes before Alice and Bella came back down. Emmett was complaining that we were going to be late. There was still forty-five minutes until the movie started, but Emmett liked getting there early so he could get snacks and find a good seat.

I was unprepared for what happened next.

Bella descended the stairs in a mini-skirt.

Her legs. God, her legs went on and on and I just wanted to wrap them around me while I lay between her thighs.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Emmett asked what the hell happened to Bella when Alice merely shrugged and told us that there might be someone at the theater they were going to see that Bella might be mildly interested in.

I felt something rise in my throat and before I could choke out the words, Emmett asked who the hell was Bella planning to see and to this Alice merely shrugged and walked out the front door. I looked at Bella to see that she had been looking at me and when our eyes met, a very soft blush spread across her cheeks. Then she was out the door, following Alice.

I cleared my throat and followed them out. Bella was only a few feet ahead of me, walking toward the car. The sway of her hips in that short skirt was hypnotizing and it took every ounce of my willpower not to pin her against the car.

I was thinking about the ride to the movies. Alice and Bella were sitting in the back seat while I rode up front with Emmett. They weren't talking about anything important, but the sound of Bella's voice had me craning my head toward them just so I could hear her.

I listened now as we walked through the woods. She was quiet. We hadn't said a word since we parted from Alice and Emmett. Dumb ass Emmett and his ideas.

We were looking for the meadow. He thought it would be cool to find it and then once we did, he wanted to throw some kind of tail gate party which didn't make sense. If it was hidden as well as we all thought, there probably wouldn't be any way to bring his truck there.

I let my thoughts wander again back to the end of that night after the movies. When I sat in the back seat with Bella, one of those long legs had brushed against me. I thought I was going to lose it right there in the car. That would not be cool since my sister and my best friend, Bella's brother, were riding up front. I don't think they would've appreciated me experimenting on the eight different ways I imagined getting Bella to moan my name.

My footsteps quickened as if I were trying to run away from those impure thoughts. Then in another minute, I heard the unmistakable sound of a hard thump against the ground. The sound caused fantasies of having Bella in the backseat of a car to disappear and I was brought back to the woods.

I turned around to see Bella on her stomach while letting out several choice words.

I walked back to her and picked her up by her elbow. "Are you alright?"

She stood up and shook my arm off. "What? Are you talking to me now?" She didn't even look at me when she walked off.

I let out a long sigh. Yeah, this was not good. I followed her, but kept my usual distance.

After a minute, she said something, but I didn't catch it. "What did you say?"

She kept walking, but turned her head. "I said, where the hell are we supposed to be going anyway?"

"I have no idea."

She stopped abruptly and turned to face me. "What do you mean you have no idea?"

I shrugged.

Her forehead wrinkled in that way that told me that she was pissed. Great. "Then why have you been walking through this forest like you knew where you were going?"

"I wasn't-"

"Geez. You know I have trouble walking through the woods." She looked down at her self and started to dust off her knees.

I'm officially the world's biggest jerk. I was so caught up in not trying to show my feelings toward Bella that I wasn't thinking about her welfare at all.

I shortened the distance between us in two quick strides. "I'm sorry. I was thinking about stuff and. . . I wasn't paying attention."

She was now dusting off her sleeves. "Well, what were you thinking about that made you lose track like that?"

I hesitated before I said, "Nothing."

Bella's dark eyes studied my face. I was afraid that it was obvious what I was thinking about. After a minute, a look of frustration occupied her face and she said, "Right." And turned away and continued walking.

I followed her, but this time I stayed close enough that in case she fell again, I could catch her.

After a couple of minutes, she stopped again, but she didn't turn around. "This is stupid. We have no idea where we're going and we both don't want to be here."

I couldn't help feeling stung by her words. As stupid as it may seem, I did like being around her. I just had to be careful and it was getting more and more difficult lately.

I stepped beside her and looked at her. "I'm sorry."

She scanned the forest. "For what?"

For wanting you when I shouldn't. For wanting to touch you in a way that brother-like people had no right to do. For wanting to taste-

"Edward?"

I shook my head. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Never mind." She took a step forward.

I touched her elbow. "Wait."

She stopped and looked at me.

_What do I do now? _I ran my fingers through my hair to try and stall. After a moment, I said, "I'm sorry we're stuck with one of Emmett's crazy ideas. And I'm sorry that. . . you got stuck with me."

Bella looked at me as if to see if I was telling the truth. Then her expression softened and she said, "Well, I suppose it could've been worse. At least this way, it's quiet." A small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth before she said, "I could've been stuck listening to Emmett talk about all his plans for the meadow."

She was not helping at all. She looked at me with mild amusement in her eyes and her lips spread into a breathtaking smile.

I wanted to kiss her.

Instead, I took her hand and we continued walking. "Come on. Let's try to find the meadow."

I told myself that it would be best if we held hands in case she might fall again, but I knew I was being selfish. Our relationship never crossed into anything more than just friends, but because we had been always around each other, there would be harmless contact like an arm around her shoulders or elbows touching. Some harmless gesture that was meant as a sign of friendly affection.

But then it changed after that day at the cabin when she was in that red bikini.

That damn red bikini.

After that, whenever we had any sort of physical contact, I couldn't help wanting there to be something more. I figured it was because I knew what was under her clothes now.

I was a bastard for wanting more.

She was Emmett's sister. _Younger_ sister.

I shouldn't be having thoughts like this about her. She looked up to me like another brother and here I was aching to lick the skin between her breasts.

The idea of taking advantage of her like that sickened me. She trusted me and she looked to me for protection. What kind of sick bastard takes advantage of that?

When I realized that, I decided I needed to distance myself from her.

I decided that I would allow this one gesture. This one time. After this, no more. The wanting was getting unbearable. Luckily there were only a couple months left until I'd be leaving for UDub and I wouldn't have to try so hard to fight these feelings.

"Hey, what's that?" Bella pointed a finger with her free hand toward a parting between two trees.

"I don't know." My grip on her hand was more firm as we continued walking toward the two trees.

When we got there, I heard Bella gasp beside me.

It was the meadow.

She was the one to take a step first into the clearing. She hadn't let go of my hand and I willingly followed her. I'd follow her anywhere.

This was one of those moments when everything was brighter, more colorful, and just clearer. I'm sorry to say that I don't remember what Bella was saying, but the way she was leading me into the meadow was absolutely mesmerizing.

She still had my hand in hers, but she had turned around to say something to me and at the same time she kept walking. It was all happening in slow motion. Her hair bouncing with her every step, her eyes widening and crinkling at the sides when she smiled. God, that smile. It took every ounce of my willpower not to cover her mouth with mine.

And the light.

It was twilight time. The light was soft and it caressed her face, giving it an almost incandescent glow.

She was leading me into the meadow, but I might as well have been lead into oblivion. At that moment, I knew one thing for certain. This wasn't an infatuation. This wasn't me being a hormonal teenage boy. This wasn't a fleeting crush.

This was forever.

I was irrevocably in love with Bella Swan.

I was so fucked.

"Edward?"

I was brought out of my thoughts when I realized Bella was only inches away from me. The smell. _Her smell._ My eyes closed as I took her in.

"Edward?" she asked again.

My eyes flew open.

"Are you alright?"

She looked at me with genuine concern. "Uh. . . yeah. I just. . ."

"Do you feel dizzy?"

"What?"

"You looked like you were going to pass out for a second."

Her eyes examined my face. "Come on." She sat down on the ground and tugged on my hand.

There was a bit of concern in her expression, but something else as well. I looked at her for a minute and realized she was afraid. What could she be afraid of?

As if reading my mind, she said, "I don't know what's going on with you lately. You. . . You're different. We don't. . ." She looked away for a moment and her face crumpled, but she quickly recovered. "Whatever's going on with you, do you think you could just. . . put it aside for just a little while and just. . . be with me?"

I felt like I was knocked down on my ass and the air was taken out of my lungs. She had no idea how much I wanted to be with her. She was still holding my hand and was now giving me an almost pleading look. God, if she only knew.

I couldn't form any words, so I nodded and sat beside her.

We sat next to each other. Our legs stretched out in front of us. It was like some unspoken agreement that our bodies wouldn't touch. We had let go of our hands and I was sad for the loss.

After a moment, Bella turned to me and held up an ear bud. "Wanna listen?"

"Sure." I took the offered ear bud and put it in my ear. It was The Platters.

_Together at last at twilight time._

I couldn't help letting out a small laugh. Alice had mentioned that she was going through an oldies phase much to her annoyance.

In this moment, it felt safe to be with her.

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

I shook my head not willing to explain my jumbled thoughts about her. Instead I brought my arm around her.

Her eyes widened at the contact and for a second I thought it was a mistake. Her surprise quickly disappeared only to be replaced by another breathtaking smile.

Bella moved closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder. I resisted the urge to kiss the top of her head. Instead I lowered my head, so that my cheek brushed against her hair and then I was captivated by strawberries and freesia. I closed my eyes and let her smell envelop me and the music became the soundtrack for this moment.

This moment. This memory would later become a source of inspiration and bittersweet torture.

In this moment, we were just Bella and Edward. The meadow had enabled us to be two people enjoying the other's company.

But once we stepped out of the meadow, she would become Bella, my best friend's sister.

I would become Edward, the guy who is like-a-brother-but-who-really-wants-to-get-into-his-best-friend's-sister's-pants.

But deep down, I knew I wasn't really that guy. I also knew I couldn't be anything more to Bella. Emmett was my best friend. We had gone through so much together. He wouldn't understand if I told him that I was in love with his younger sister.

So, until I had to put the mask back on, I'd enjoy this moment and dream that some day I might have more than a fleeting moment in a meadow to show Bella how much I love her.

* * *

Thanks for reading!

XO

Jenn


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